Lunar Succession
by Anegel Vitriol Trinton
Summary: Usagi has been annihilated, leaving the senshi to find a successor for the Lunarian throne. What happens when that successor believes in bloodshed and death? Will the demon be slayed by the blade of its own incarnation? [INCOM] MK/HY TB/OC an' more...
1. Who Shall Lead the Senshi?

Lunar Succession  
  
Author: ~Heartless Spirit~ (aka dragonsbane013)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or   
Gundam Wing, but I do own Kuroi Abunai   
(aka Dederi) and my original anime known as   
'Tsurideragon no Chionikuresu'. My   
friend, Jess-chan, owns Seito Pika(aka Nova).  
  
======  
Synopsis: It has been two months after Usagi-hime's  
death. Luna and Artemis are concerned for the  
welfare of the scouts and the future of the  
Silver Millenium. The Inner and Outer scouts,  
still coping with the death of their beloved  
leader, decide to take matters into their own  
hands to carefully choose a leader. Problems  
arise. What does Usagi-hime's spirit have to  
say to Luna and Artemis? Does she have one  
successor in mind? And what happens when another  
evil force begins to infect the SM world and  
another?  
======  
Ch.1-Who Shall Lead the Senshi?   
  
Setsuna Meiou sighed sadly as she and the other  
scouts discussed who should be the new leader,  
succeeding Usagi. It had been precisely two  
months since their leader and friend had died,  
which no one understood, for the future had not  
held any records of this happening.   
Rei grumpily slammed her fist onto the wooden  
table within her bedroom at Cherry Hill Temple.  
"I think *I* should be the leader of the senshi!  
I mean, I was second in command when Usagi-chan  
was alive! I should be granted the position of  
leader of the senshi!"   
  
Haruka lost her edge.  
  
"Shut up, Rei! You're way too hotheaded and  
power-hungry to lead us into battle! I think  
Setsuna should be our leader! She controls time  
itself, damnit!"  
  
Ami calmly set her glasses down on the table.  
"We shouldn't be fighting, Haruka, Rei. We should  
be focusing more on our new enemy that has risen  
lately. We can discuss this later."  
  
"We need to settle this NOW!" Rei growled.  
  
Luna and Artemis jumped onto the center of  
the oak table. "Stop it, Rei. Artemis and  
I have already settled the argument over who is  
to become the senshi's new leader."  
Artemis closed his sapphire-blue eyes. "That  
successor also has a history dealing with the  
Moon Kingdom." Artemis opened his eyes. "She  
is almost perfect for the job. She should  
be arriving soon."  
  
Minako's eyes flashed open at the words 'almost  
perfect'. "What do you mean almost perfect?"  
  
Makoto crossed her muscular, yet feminine, arms.  
"Why did you make this decision without our  
consent, Artemis?"  
  
Luna stared straight into Makoto's jade eyes.  
"Usagi's spirit told us of the girl who is to  
take her place."  
  
"U-U-Usagi-chan? She...came to you? But, why  
not all of us?" Michiru looked down supringly,  
and, to some extent, worriedly.  
  
"She, as she usually would, wanted me to tell you.  
She told Artemis and I last night." Luna explained.  
  
Rei's teeth clenched angrily. "We can't just let  
a person we don't even know become our leader! What  
if she's an imposter?!"  
  
Michiru couldn't take anymore of Rei's jealous and  
untrusting behavior. The teal-haired violinist  
stood up and slapped Rei in the face. Rei's  
cheeks slowly melted from a creamy peach color  
to a burning red. Rei rubbed her cheek.  
"I needed that. Arigato, Michiru-chan."  
"Doo atashi mashite, Rei-chan." Michiru sat back  
down next to Haruka, who was still momentarily  
shocked by her girlfriend's actions.  
  
Artemis straightened his back. "Usagi's successor  
goes by the name of Dederi. I'm not actually sure  
of her real name...Not even Usagi knew. In the  
original Moon Kingdom, Dederi was Serenity-hime's  
royal bodyguard, and the most deadly soldier of the  
Moon's army.  
  
"She was reincarnated, as you all were. But, there  
is something you should know about Dederi. She  
is an a-"  
  
A cascade of gunshots rang through the peace and  
quiet of Cherry Hill. The senshi, thinking it  
as another enemy attack, ran outside, henshin  
sticks in hand. They froze as they watched what  
happened next.  
  
Dederi ran up the steps of the Cherry Hill temple,  
gritting her teeth and using her trusty handguns  
to shoot the men that were running after her.  
"DAMN YOU ALL TO DIABLO!" The raven-haired girl  
cussed as she shot two more soldiers that were   
catching up to her. "SHIT!" A soldier, wearing  
a black vest with gold lining and white pants,  
as well as black boots, punched one of her guns  
out of her left hand. Dederi high-jump kicked  
the soldier as he began to pull the trigger of  
his handgun, which had been aimed perfectly at  
her forehead. The soldier rolled down the white  
stone steps, head bleeding from the kick Dederi  
had just executed. Dederi stopped at the  
top of the steps and turned around, shooting  
three more of the attacking soldiers in the  
chest. "DAMN!" Dederi grunted as she kicked  
a soldier in the you-know-where.   
Dederi dropped her empty handguns and pulled  
out two more that were loaded. She backflipped  
swiftly onto the top of one of the Cherry Blossom  
trees and shot the rest of the assaulting soldiers.  
The raven-haired gunwoman put her handguns away  
as she jumped down. Dederi noticed a group of  
girls looking at her, as if she just destroyed the  
world or something. She pulled out her guns once  
more. "Omae no kurosu. No word about this gets  
out or I will-" Dederi noticed a pair of cats  
perched on a blond girl's shoulder. Dederi  
walked forward and kneeled, her right knuckles  
on the ground. "Luna-sama. Artemis-sama.  
Gomen ne. I did not know you were-"  
Luna smiled. "It's quite alright, Dederi. You  
don't need to apologize." Luna's face grew  
serious. "Did you really have to shoot those  
soldiers?"  
"They were sent to kill me. I had no choice."  
Artemis jumped off of Minako's shoulder and  
settled himself onto Dederi's.   
"We need to introduce you to the other senshi,  
Dederi-kun."  
Dederi's monotone voice answered, "Of course."  
  
(Back inside Rei's room)  
  
Haruka pointed a finger towards Dederi, who  
was sitting next to Setsuna with her arms crossed.  
"You mean to tell me that this murderer is supposed  
to lead US?!"  
Michiru frowned. "Haruka-chan, please don't be  
so judging." Michiru put her hand on Dederi's  
shoulder. "How long have you done this 'job' of  
yours, Dederi-kun?"  
Dederi shook Michiru's hand off her shoulder coldly.  
"Classified information, Neptune."  
  
"Can you at least tell us some information about  
yourself?" Ami asked.  
  
"I am known as Dederi, I refuse to tell you my real  
name until I completely trust you. I am the top  
assassin for an organization called Romeclyst  
Prevention. I was Usagi-sama's bodyguard in the  
Moon Kingdom. I prefer being alone. Enough  
information?" Dederi stated, her face never  
changing.  
  
"Were you and Usagi-chan good friends?"  
  
"Ha! No." Dederi grinned amusingly.  
  
"Luna, how the hell is she supposed to be our  
leader if she didn't even like Usagi!?" Minako  
asked, an agitated expression on her face.  
  
"Listen to me." Luna ordered with a low, yet  
wise voice. "She may not seem like it, but she  
is the best candidate to become Sailor Moon.  
She already protects the Imperium Crystal,  
she knows all about her past and future, and she  
has the potential. She will protect anyone she  
was told to protect. She would gladly give her  
life to save any of you!"  
  
Dederi scowled. "Do I really have to wear those  
skimpy outfits? Ugh, what an embarassment."  
  
"ExCUSE me?!" Minako's anger got the better of her.  
"Those are our senshi 'outfits', you monotone  
gothic murderer!"  
  
"I'm no murderer," Dederi put a gun right under  
Minako's chin, pushing it slightly into her throat.  
"I'm just an assassin that could pull this trigger  
right at this very moment, Venus." Dederi grinned  
as she put her gun back into her jacket pocket,  
leaving the Ai No Megami in a state of withering  
shock. "I refuse to wear those disgraceful   
suits."   
  
Makoto slammed her fist which connected with the  
table, which, by the force of the hit, shook  
violently like a shockwave produced by an  
earthquake. [No way is this killer is to be  
our leader! That just isn't possible!] "Dederi,  
I REFUSE to be led by you! No matter who you  
are!"  
Dederi smirked, un-intimidated. "I do not care  
for this, Jovian princess. You do not have to  
listen to me at all. Hell, I don't even care   
if you contradict me. I'm only here because I  
was destined to be." Dederi heard some clatter  
of footsteps coming from outside the door of  
Rei's bedroom. "All of you shut up." Dederi  
got out her trusty handgun and pointed towards  
the wooden door and opened it. A girl stood outside  
of the door, staring, but un-suprised.  
"Dederi-chan, you don't have to point that gun  
at me. Put it down this instant. Is that anyway  
to treat your partner?" The girl mocked.  
Dederi smiled mercilessly. "Ohayo, Nova.  
You're late."  
"Gomen ne. Enemy troops followed me." The brunette  
with blond highlights explained as she crossed her  
arms in annoyance.   
Dederi grinned. "And that stopped you? How sad."  
"Well, Whatever. So where are those senshi you  
talked about meeting?" Nova asked.  
Haruka stood up and stared at Nova, who, in turn,  
was staring back. "How the hell did she know?!"  
Luna sighed. "You were to keep this secret,  
Dederi, didn't you know of that?"  
"Yes, Luna-sama. But my partner finds out everything  
and can keep a good secret from enemies and  
everyone else. And she knows I can kill her if  
she rats it out." Dederi said.  
"So YOU'RE Luna. Pleasure to meet you." Nova  
grinned as she slightly bowed towards the  
guardian cat.  
"Likewise. Now, Dederi, do you know the reason  
behind Usagi-hime's death?" Everyone stared at  
that question.  
  
[How the heck is that murderer supposed to know?!]  
Rei crossed her arms in aggravation.  
  
"Yes, I do, Luna-sama." Dederi nodded.  
  
"Care to tell us why?" Artemis asked, suprised  
that Dederi knew of such a thing.  
  
"Usagi's soul was shattered by a new enemy.  
The same enemy that had killed me in my past life."  
Dederi's face turned grave, her black-crimson  
accented eyes were filled with hate, but she  
continued. "He has the ability to go to others'  
souls. The little fear within the souls amplifies  
his demonic strength. He also has the ability  
to create dimensional portals. I doubt that he  
will stay in your world for long. He has always  
been a rogue."   
  
Dederi's hands now shook as  
she clenched her teeth. Her hands slowly began  
to bleed from the pressure of her own nails as  
they dug into her skin.   
  
Ami gasped. "Dederi! Matte!" Ami grabbed Dederi's  
hands, which broke her from her 'trance'. Dederi's  
hands were now drenched in blood. And what color  
was it? black mixed with crimson red. [Black  
and red blood?] Ami stared at the two-colored  
blood. "I-I'll get you bandaged up."   
  
Dederi sighed. "If you must." Suddenly  
Dederi grabbed her head, and began to scream  
in pain. "..Shimata...get..out of my HEAD!..  
No no! Get out!....ugh....no..." Nova  
hustled over to her partner.  
  
"Dederi! No! You can win! Don't let Youhko win!  
Don't lose!" Nova yelled encouragingly. [Kuso.  
Why now? Which dimension is he traveling to  
this time?!]  
  
Hotaru ran over to the screaming assassin,  
who writhed in unexplainable pain. "Dederi-kun!  
Listen to me. Whatever is in that head, don't  
listen to it!" Hotaru's hands began to glow  
a mystic lavender color, and Dederi began to  
glow a faint black and red color.  
  
The other senshi watched in awe as the two  
continued to glow. Dederi stopped screaming  
violently, and fainted right before Hotaru  
ceased to glow. Hotaru looked at Setsuna  
and Luna. "We need to start packing."  
  
=======  
AN: Did you like it? The assassin thing was a  
suprise wasn't it? Who'd have thought that the  
successor would be an assassin? O well, hoped you  
like it. I need your help with the pairings,  
not including Michiru and Haruka, cuz they're  
already together! And don't even think about  
pairing Relena with someone, cuz that girl is  
a TOTAL @#*&% who is extremely clueless and stupid.  
MUCH RELENA BASHING IN THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS.  
(*Note: I don't like Usagi that much either,  
so don't expect me to bring her back from the dead.)  
  
Email: dragonsbane013  
(PLEASE EMAIL ME ABOUT THE PAIRINGS FOR THIS  
FIC!!!!) 


	2. The Other Dimension

Lunar Succession  
  
Author: ~Heartless Spirit~ (aka dragonsbane013)  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own GW or SM. However I DO  
own Kuroi Abunai (aka Dederi) and my anime,  
'Tsurideragon no Chionikuresu'. Mah friend  
Jess-chan owns Seito Pika (aka Nova).  
  
(AN: Some characters might seem OOC in this ch.)  
  
======  
Ch.2-The Other Dimension  
======  
  
"Why would we need to pack, Hotaru-chan?" Ami  
asked, slightly confused.  
  
"This 'Youhko', which seems to be the enemy that  
we have been searching for, has entered a new  
dimension." Hotaru answered. "We need to move  
quickly."  
  
Setsuna sighed. "Looks like it shall come sooner  
than expected. Sailor Senshi, before we leave  
for the other dimension I will need to explain  
something to you."  
  
"What is it Sets-chan?" Makoto said as she looked  
at her.  
  
Setsuna sat down. "You will need help from a group  
of boys, about your age, to help you defeat   
Youhko. Heero Yuy, Wufei Chang, Quatre Rabbaba Winner,  
Duo Maxwell, and Trowa Barton. They are pilots of  
powerful mobil suits called Gundams. Although,  
they might seem reluctant to help you. You see, in  
the dimension we are about to go in, there is a war  
going on."  
  
Everyone stared at the jade-haired guardian.  
  
Dederi opened her eyes slowly and groan as she  
stood up. "Setsuna. We need to move quickly.   
Youhko is taking human form. He is to side with  
the Gundams' enemy." Dederi heard a noise. "Kuso,  
they found me already."  
  
"Who found you already?" Michiru asked worriedly.  
  
"You know who I work for, right?" Dederi whispered  
as she reached the door. "Romeclyst has an enemy  
called Kinzoku Alliance. They always attempt to  
kill me and Nova. We're the top two assassins in  
the world." Everyone gasped at the last statement.  
  
Setsuna stood up. "Then we need to go. We cannot  
afford to wait as you fight these people."  
  
"But what about our parents?" Minako asked. "If they  
find me missing they'll go balistic!"  
  
"Do not worry. I'll bring us back to this exact  
time once our task is finished."   
  
Makoto cracked her knuckles. "Well let's go then!"  
  
Setsuna nodded. "We should henshin first." Setsuna  
took out her henshin wand. The others nodded.  
Dederi sighed reluctantly. "If I must."  
"Mercury Crystal Power!" "Mars Crystal Power!"  
  
"Jupiter Crystal Power!" "Venus Crystal Power!"  
  
"Pluto Crystal Power!" "Saturn Crystal Power!"  
  
"Neptune Crystal Power!" "Uranus Crystal Power!"  
  
"Moon Crystal Power!"  
  
After a shimmer of ice, a glow of hearts, a flash  
of thunder, a blaze of fire, a cloud of purple mist,  
a reign of dark violet, a wave of water, a  
shockwave of earth, and a flurry of ribbons, the  
transformations were complete. The other senshi  
turned to see what Dederi looked like, and they   
gasped at what they saw.  
  
Dederi's, or Sailor Moon's, senshi fuku was different  
from the original Sailor Moon suit. Her fuku resembled  
Sailor Galaxia's fuku, except it was white instead  
of gold and her headpiece wasn't a crown. Actually  
there wasn't a headpiece at all. Her scepter was  
replaced by a gold and white sword, intricate  
carvings surrounding the hilt.   
  
[She..looks like Sailor Galaxia. But how can this  
be?] Setsuna eyed Dederi suprisingly.  
  
Dederi looked at her suit. "It doesn't look as bad  
as I thought. At least I'm not wearing pink." Dederi  
laughed. Nova walked over and touched her suit.  
  
"You look great." Nova complemented.  
  
Saturn stared. "You look like Galaxia."  
  
"I do?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Setsuna shook her head. [I will have to figure this  
out later.] "We must go." Setsuna pointed her  
time key in front of her and a purple aura emitted  
from it. A large portal slowly opened in front  
of the senshi. "Step through the portal quickly,  
before those enemies of Dederi get into the house."  
"Hn." Dederi nodded.   
  
"May I come too, Sailor Pluto? I'm Dederi's, I mean  
Sailor Moon's, partner." Nova asked anxiously.  
  
Pluto eyed Luna and Artemis. Luna sighed.  
"I suppose she could come. But you must stay  
out of trouble. Do you understand, Nova?"  
Nova nodded.   
  
"Step through the portal." Artemis said.  
  
Venus stared sadly. "Aren't you coming with us,  
Artemis? Luna?"  
  
Luna sighed and shook her head. "We cannot come.  
You must complete this task on your own."  
  
"Why not?" Mercury asked.  
  
"We have no time to explain! Just go! We'll contact  
you in the other dimension!" Artemis yelled.  
  
Sailor Moon pushed the other senshi through the  
portal. "Go!" The black(w/blood red highlights)-  
haired girl turned to her superiors. "You'll  
contact us there?"  
Luna and Artemis nodded.   
"Alright then." Sailor Moon stepped through the   
portal.  
  
(Dimension Change: Gundam Wing; 7:15:35AM)  
  
Duo sighed as they walked to school. "Man, this  
damn war and damn school is giving me a headache."  
  
"Stop your whining, Maxwell." Wufei hit him  
on the head with his black schoolbag.   
  
Heero was aggravated with his 'friends'. "If you  
two don't stop fighting I will be forced to shoot  
both of you." Heero took out his gun and pointed it  
directly at Duo's head. Wufei and Duo immediately  
stopped fighting.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH  
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
A series of loud, high pitched screams came from  
the sky. Duo raised his hand and tried to see  
what made the high-pitched yells. "What the.."  
A few feet away from the pilots, ten girls dropped  
from the sky and landed on the hard concrete.  
  
A blond girl with a red bow rubbed her head as she  
stood up. She looked around and saw that the  
outers and Sailor Moon had landed gracefully without  
landing on their asses. "How the hell can you  
stand after that long drop?!?!" The blond girl  
asked with an aggravated and astounded look on her  
face.  
The girl with a white suit of armor holding a long  
gold katana stared at the astounded girl. "It wasn't  
*that* long." The armored girl helped another girl  
with blond highlights up. "You alright Nova?"  
The brown and blond haired teen stood up. Suprisingly,  
she didn't have any scratches. "Yes, I'm alright,  
Dederi. The question is, how's everyone else?"  
Nova looked around and watched as the inners stood  
up and groaned.  
  
"What the heck do you mean by 'not a long drop'?  
It was 200 meters in the air!" The girl with the  
red bow exclaimed, waving her arms around like she  
was trying to get someone's attention.  
  
The teal-haired teenager wearing a aquamarine and  
dark blue fuku calmed the girl down. "Minako! Minako-  
chan! It's okay! Let it go!" The girl laughed as  
the other stopped flailing her arms.  
  
Minako giggled. "Okay okay, Michi-chan."  
  
Ami looked around. "We're not in Tokyo anymore,  
THAT'S for sure. Hey, Dederi-kun? Do you know where  
Youhko is for the moment?"  
  
Meanwhile, the five pilots looked at the 10 girls  
in awe.  
"T-they landed without a scratch!" Duo exclaimed  
as his jaw dropped open. "And they're HOT!"  
"I heard the name Youhko." Trowa crossed his arms.   
"Could they be referring to General Youhko, that  
new army commander of Rommefeller?" Quatre asked  
as he looked at the girl with the red bow.  
Heero walked over to the girls who were talking  
on the street. He pointed his handgun at the girl  
who wore a suit of white armor. "Omae no korosu.  
State your name and position."  
Dederi stared at the black handgun which was pointed  
directly to her face. "Heero Yuy, I presume?"  
Heero's finger tightened around the trigger. "How  
do you know my name?"  
"My superior told me about you." Dederi grinned and  
swiftly held her sword up, the blade next to the  
gun-weilding pilot's neck. "I'm from another dimension.  
My senshi and I need your help."  
  
The other pilots ran over and looked at the sword,  
which was close enough to Heero's neck to draw blood.  
Duo's mouth hung open again. "She has a sword!"  
  
The raven haired girl with a red fuku heard Dederi's  
previous remark. "Hey, Dederi! Last I recalled we  
aren't YOUR senshi!"  
"Shut the hell up, Mars." Dederi tightened her grip  
on her hilt. "And as far as I recall, I am your   
leader. So shut up for now and we'll discuss this  
later."  
Wufei looked at the sword. "You're skilled at  
swordfighting, aren't you, baka onna?"  
Dederi looked at Wufei. "What did you just call me?"  
"You heard me, baka onna."   
Dederi removed her sword from Heero's neck and  
slashed at Wufei, faster than the eye could see.  
"Take that back, kisama. Unless you want to breathe  
through your neck." Dederi grinned as she continued  
to swipe at the Chinese teenager.  
[I hate admitting to onnas, but this onna's good.]  
"Fine. I take it back. But tell me," Wufei stood as  
Dederi put her sword away. "How did you learn that  
sword technique?"  
"I won't say. Hold on a sec..You're Wufei Chang,  
are you not?"  
"What if I am?" Wufei smirked.  
Dederi remembered what her Romeclyst superior had  
told her.  
  
*~Flashback~*  
  
Countess Rozielle looked at Dederi in the eye.  
"You are to become a senshi, are you not?"  
  
"Y-yes, my lady. But how did you know?"  
  
"I am psychic, if you do not remember. You are  
to track down Youhko, am I correct?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am. I will have to travel to another  
dimension and follow him."  
  
"To the Gundam era, am I correct?"  
  
"I think so, Countess."  
  
"You have a new mission then."  
  
"And what is that?"  
  
"Assassinate Wufei Chang, pilot of Shenlong Nataku."  
  
*~End Flashback~*  
  
Dederi stared at Wufei, who was now glaring back.  
She smirked and took out her sword once more.  
"Because if you are," the raven haired assassin   
chuckled. "I have to kill you!" Dederi, once again,  
began to swipe at Wufei, who took out his own  
katana for defense.  
  
======  
AN: What do you think????? Flames are welcome,  
cuz I dun care!  
  
Email: dragonsbane013@hotmail.com 


	3. My Dear Assailant and her Reluctant Crew

Lunar Succession  
  
Author: ~Heartless Spirit~  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own SM or GW. I DO own Dederi, so  
no stealin'!  
======  
Lunar Succession  
======  
Chapter 3-My Dear Assailant and Her Reluctant Crew  
======  
  
Dederi put up an offensive stance as Wufei stared.  
The raven-haired assailant grinned maliciously as she  
watched Wufei put up his katana. She noticed his   
stance and smirked. "You need a better stance, Chang.  
I can see many openings for attack."  
Wufei stared incredulously, although his katana didn't  
dare move an inch. After a moment of silence and   
confusion, Wufei raised his voice to answer. "What?!"  
  
Nova sighed and put her hand to her cheek. "Oh, yeah.  
Forgot about that." Haruka turned to the blond-highlighted  
assassin.   
  
"Forgot what?!" Haruka's voice grew rather aggravated.  
  
Nova looked at Haruka. "Our Romeclyst superior, Countess  
Rozielle, had instructed Dederi to destroy Gundam pilot  
Wufei Chang, colony L5; Shenlong Nataku."  
  
Heero heard this and immediately put his handgun onto  
Nova's head. "Omae o korosu. Who are you?" Heero's  
eyes pierced the souls of all who were near.  
  
Nova sighed as she put up her hands. "I am Nova. I cannot  
tell anything else, or else I will get it from my  
partner."  
  
"Is your partner the one that's having a glare match  
with Wu-man?" Duo asked.  
  
Nova nodded cautiously.  
  
Heero gritted his teeth. "Who do you work for?"  
  
"I will not tell you."  
  
"Omae o korosu if you don't talk." Heero tightened his  
grip on the trigger.  
  
"I'll die before I talk."  
  
"Fine." Heero said.  
  
Minako stepped forward. "Nova-kun..." Minako was about  
to stop the trigger from being pulled but Nova put  
her hand out, motioning her to not move and let it go.  
  
Dederi was about to advance an attack towards Wufei  
but halted when she heard indistinct pleading from one  
of the senshi. [Mercury?] She turned around and saw  
Heero about to pull the trigger on Nova. "Kuso.."  
Dederi threw her katana onto the grey concrete and  
began to run towards Nova.  
  
Ami pleaded. "No! Please don't! We don't have to kill   
each other!" Her blue eyes shimmered with tears.  
Heero's prussian blue eyes stared at Nova emotionlessly.  
He pulled the trigger.  
"KUSO!" Dederi pushed Nova out of the way as the bullet  
shot out of the gun. Dederi dropped to the ground in  
pain. The bullet had shot through her left shoulder,  
barely missing her top ribs. The assassin now writhed  
in pain, shimmering tears flowed through her eyes as  
red and black fluid secreted from her injury.  
The senshi gasped. Hotaru knelt down and examined her  
wound, despite her extreme fear of Dederi and her  
red and black blood. Hotaru whispered sadly as she  
touched the wound. "She-she...she's going to die if  
we don't get her treated..I can't heal this wound..  
We must get the bullet out first!" The senshi of  
destruction and rebirth held her hand to Dederi's  
neck. "And her pulse is weakening..."   
  
The Chinese warrior ran up to the place where the boys  
and senshi crowded around. "What is going on now?"  
"Heero shot one of these girls. Your assailant, to be  
precise." Duo said, not taking his eyes off the bleeding  
girl.  
Rei, although disliking Dederi as much as the others,  
spoke to the boy with platinum blond hair. "Please,  
I know you don't trust us but we have got to get Dederi  
to a hospital. If we don't.." [Another descendant of  
the moon kingdom will die and another leader will be  
needed..]  
  
Quatre whispered to his braided comrad, who was also   
staring at the bleeding girl. "Duo, should we help them?  
I can't decide whether-"  
Duo shook his head. "Sorry, Q-man. I don't know either."  
Heero stared at the writhing body of the female assailant,  
his prussian blue eyes were uncertain.  
"Well, I guess we can't just leave her here. Okay, we'll  
help." Quatre nodded as he bent over to put Dederi on his  
back.  
Heero shot a glare at Hotaru. "On one condition. You  
have to tell us who you are and where you are from, and  
who you work for."  
  
Hotaru and the other senshi nodded.  
  
Nova, momentarily knocked over and onto the ground by her  
Romeclyst comrad, sighed sadly as she knelt beside Dederi,  
who was about to be picked up by Quatre and Duo. She  
shook her head. "Do you always have to get shot instead   
of me, baka?"  
Dederi sighed painfully as she strived to answer Nova's  
question. Dederi scoffed, "Of course, Nova-kun. You're my  
only partner. And," Dederi coughed up blood as she  
continued. "You're the only friend I've got now."   
  
"We should get her to the hospital now if you want her  
to live." Trowa said, looking at the senshi with his  
shimmering emerald green eyes.  
  
(Place: Sanq Kingdom Memorial Hospital)  
  
Quatre, the pilots, and the senshi burst through the glass  
hospital doors. "We need help now!" Minako yelled as she  
ran to the receptionist's desk. "Our friend needs help!  
Please!"  
The nurse's eyes settled upon the unconscious girl  
on the Arab boy's back. "Oh goodness!" She picked up  
the phone and paged the doctors of the emergency ward.  
A split-second later, doctors and nurses came rushing  
towards them with a stretcher beside them. They lifted  
Dederi off Quatre's back and onto the stretcher as  
a few nurses prepared the IV fluid bags and some other  
materials. The doctors then rushed the stretcher through  
the bustling hallway, leaving the pilots and the senshi  
to deal with the nurses that urged them to stay in the  
waiting room until their friend was out of the ER.  
  
(Time Change: 4:02:34 PM; Hospital)  
  
Nova paced back and forth in the silent waiting room,  
her highlighted hair swished and swayed back and forth.  
"Ooh, I can't stand waiting..." She complained.  
The senshi had now detransformed, much to the pilots'  
suprise. Ami motioned Nova to calm down. "Nova-kun.  
It's going to be alright, you don't need to worry.  
It'll be okay." [I can't stand waiting either..]  
Michiru sat down next to the magazine shelf with Haruka,  
although they didn't read anything. Michiru held Haruka's  
hand. "Haruka-chan, do you think Dederi will turn out  
to be alright?"  
Haruka squeezed her girlfriend's hand gently. "Don't worry  
Michi-chan. She's strong, if you haven't noticed."  
[I hope she's okay. But can I bring myself to trust that  
assassin?] Haruka sighed. She didn't know what to think  
anymore.  
Rei sat on the floor, meditating quietly. [I wish I could  
consult the sacred fire. Then I'd know what to do..]  
  
Duo and the other pilots sat in the other corner of  
the waiting room. The braided American leaned on his  
arm. "Man, Heero, why'd you have to go and shoot that  
girl anyway? We wouldn't be in this mess." Heero shot  
his 'friend' his famous death glare.   
"I meant to shoot that other girl, Duo. Anyway, none  
of those girls can be trusted."  
Trowa opened his eyes as he leaned on the back of his   
chair. "What I don't understand is, how could those girls  
survive such a fall from the sky? And why did they seem  
so hostile to that girl Heero shot?"  
"Good questions, although unfortunately I don't know the  
answers to any of those." Quatre said regretfully.  
"They're all just a bunch of weak onnas." The Chinese  
one said. [Although I must admit the one that attempted  
to kill me was a bit formidable.]  
  
One doctor then walked through the waiting room doors and  
walked towards the girls. Hotaru and Nova stood up  
excitedly as the brown-haired doctor stood in front of  
them. "Doctor, is Dederi going to be alright?" Nova  
asked, her sparkling eyes shimmering with hope.   
"Your friend will be fine. She can go home today, if she  
wishes to. But, she must stay out of strenous activities  
for a few days. Then she'll be back on her feet. You  
can go see her now, too. She's in room D5 on the third  
floor." The doctor informed.  
"Thank you doctor." Hotaru smiled.  
"No trouble at all. Now, if you excuse me, I must get  
to my next appointment." The doctor then walked out of  
the room and down the hall to try and find his patient that  
had swallowed a pen.  
  
Minako sighed in relief. "Oh thank Kami-sama she's okay!"  
  
"We should probably tell those boys we can see Dederi now,  
shouldn't we?" Ami asked.  
  
"I'll go tell them. You go along ahead. I'll catch up."  
Makoto laughed. She walked over to the five boys who  
were now looking at her in confusion. "Hey, we can see  
Dederi now. You guys coming or what?"  
  
The boys blinked, but soon followed the brunette  
out the room.  
  
Dederi lay on her hospital bed, groaning as she opened  
her eyes. She had just gotten better from that shot and  
she was still in pain. "Shimata..I'm never taking a bullet  
for that girl ever again." Dederi rubbed her sore head  
as she sat up. Nova and the others rushed in,   
worried and relieved expressions on their faces.  
Another wave of people rushed in, particularly Makoto  
and the pilots. Dederi spotted Wufei.  
"Kuso, I didn't finish my mission." Dederi was about to  
walk out of the bed when Haruka restrained her from doing  
so.  
"Oh no you don't. You're going to stay immobile for a   
few days, got it?" Haruka said as she pushed Dederi  
back onto the bed.  
"The question is, though, where are we going to stay?  
We are not native to this place, and we don't know  
our way around, OR have any money." Setsuna sighed  
sadly. For once, the guardian of time had been out of  
ideas.  
"Good point." Minako agreed as she sat on the foot of  
Dederi's bed.  
  
"You could stay at my mansion if you'd like, if you don't  
mind staying with the five of us." Quatre offered,  
not paying attention to the glares Wufei and Heero were  
giving him.  
Michiru's eyes widened. "You wouldn't mind?"  
"Really??" Minako smiled widely.  
  
"I don't mind at all. Besides, we can't just leave you  
here, now can we?" Quatre turned to his friends,  
who were speechless, but nonetheless glaring at him.  
  
Duo spoke up. "Q-man, you sure about this? I mean, they're  
total strangers."  
"And we do not know anything about them at all." Trowa  
replied.  
"This is injustice.." Wufei muttered.  
Heero just glared.  
"Well, its my mansion, and if you don't like it you can  
always leave." Quatre crossed his arms in defiance.  
The other four pilots looked at each other for a moment,  
then nodded reluctantly. "Fine."  
  
Quatre turned back to the girls, who now looked at him for  
an answer. "They said it's okay."   
"Yay!" Minako hugged Quatre, who's cheeks turned a rosy  
pink hue. "Arigato Gozaimasu!"  
The other girls laughed at Minako's enthusiastic action.  
  
Duo looked as Minako hugged his Arabian friends. He  
grinned mischieviously. "This might be a good thing  
after all."  
  
Dederi turned to Nova, who was sitting next to her as she  
laughed. "Nova-kun, I have a question for you."  
Nova chuckled. "What is it?"  
Dederi smiled at Nova's chuckle, but then frowned with  
uncertainty. "Should I...Should I continue my mission?"  
Nova stood up suprisingly and stared, her mouth agape.  
The others turned to her, although Nova didn't notice that  
at all. "Dederi-kun?! Y-you're actually willing to-"  
"Hai. I'm willing to turn down a mission."  
"But.."  
"No, Nova-kun. Besides, they're'll be other missions."  
  
[Missions?] Heero thought.  
[What the heck is going on?] Duo scratched his cheek.  
[What mission?] Trowa wondered.  
[Huh?] Quatre thought.  
[She's not going to kill me?] Wufei was suprised.  
  
Nova sighed. "It's your choice, Dederi-kun. Although,  
Rozielle will have your head for it."  
  
Dederi laughed. "Like she'll be able to."  
  
Quatre had absolutely NO clue about what the two girls  
were talking about, but he decided it would be better to  
talk more about everything when they got to the mansion.  
"We'd better, uh, get going. Don't want to stay in the  
hospital all day, now do we?" Quatre laughed nervously.  
  
The girls and his comrads nodded.  
  
======  
AN: Hihi ^^ Was that long or short? Boring or otherwise?  
What? what?! I just want comments, suggestions, etc.  
EMAIL ME IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA FOR SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE  
OF THIS FANFIC THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO HAPPEN, K? AND  
ALSO, I NEED HELP WID PAIRINGS!!!!  
  
PUT THE SUBJECT OF THE EMAIL AS 'FANFICTION' OR SOMETHING  
SO I KNOW IT'S NOT JUNKMAIL, K? ARIGATO GOZAIMASU!  
  
Email: dragonsbane013@hotmail.com 


	4. Sharing Secrets

Lunar Succession  
  
Author: ~Heartless Spirit~  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own SM or GW. I DO own Dederi, so  
no stealin'!  
======  
Lunar Succession  
======  
Chapter 4-Sharing Secrets  
======  
  
The senshi, excluding Dederi, and Nova stared in awe as they  
stood outside Quatre's massive mansion. The outer walls were  
a light adobe orange, and the victorian windows accented them  
nicely. The red and white rose bushes lined the brick walkway,  
glistening with excess water from the 2:00 pm sprinklers, which  
had been activated an hour ago, meaning it was now about 3:00 pm.  
  
Duo put his hands in his pockets and walked into the mansion.  
"Man, it's good to be home. I'm exhausted." His cobalt eyes  
showed fatigue and weariness.  
  
After Quatre briefed the girls on where everything was, bedrooms,  
courtyards, recreation, etc., the pilots asked if they could ask  
a few questions about where they were from and why they were  
here.   
  
Duo was sitting placidly on the plush, beige leather sofa, next  
to Setsuna, Haruka, Michiru, Ami, and Rei. Makoto and Minako were  
sitting in the other couch with Trowa and Quatre, and Hotaru  
sat on a recliner. Heero leaned on the wall left from the   
brick fireplace next to Wufei, and Dederi leaned on the oak  
doorframe while Nova sat on the ground a few feet away from  
her.   
  
Heero spoke in his usual monotone voice. "Who are you exactly?  
Why did you come here?"  
  
Setsuna replied, "We are the sailor senshi from another dimension  
similar to yours." Then, out of nowhere, the Time Key quickly  
matterialized into her right hand. The guardian of time stood  
up. "To further explain, look at the Garnet Orb."  
  
The Garnet Orb atop the staff glowed a bright purple and   
enveloped the five pilots. It flashed images of the Moon Kingdom,  
the respective planets, the enemies they have faced, and   
the Moon princess, Serenity. After the "vision" was over,  
the pilots blinked in suprise and disbelief, even Heero  
slightly twitched. Setsuna put away her staff. "Now do you  
understand who we are?"  
  
All the pilots nodded.  
  
Duo blinked. "S-so you mean to tell us t-that you're all  
princesses?!"  
  
Minako winked. "Yeah."  
  
Dederi burst out laughing, her strong voice echoing throughout  
the study. "Except me, Venus. Except me."  
  
"Why not?" Quatre asked cautiously. "If all of them are   
princesses, why aren't you?"  
  
Dederi turned away, still laughing. But her voice turned   
serious and she stared right at Quatre. "I was the personal  
bodyguard of the Moon princess. No royalty is within my blood.  
And I must say, I am grateful my previous profession is over."  
  
Makoto stood up and growled. "What the heck do you mean by that,  
you murderer?!"  
  
Dederi glared, but not moving. "I mean I am glad I do not protect  
that weakling of a princess any longer."  
  
"Why you.." Makoto tightened her fists. "Usagi was a great leader  
and a great princess! She's way better than the likes of you!"  
  
Dederi laughed. "Need I remind you that I am only here because  
of Luna-sama and Artemis-sama? You think I would want to  
be near weaklings like yourself? I think not."  
  
"I'm going to kill you, you homocidal goth!" Makoto ran over and  
attempted to punch Dederi on her stomach, but Dederi evaded  
effortlessly.   
  
The raven-haired assassin sighed in annoyance. "No skill. And  
I thought you would be a match for me, Jupiter. I will not fight  
you." She walked away.  
  
Makoto attempted to jump-kick her when she turned her back.   
Dederi closed her eyes and Makoto flew back onto the wall  
a few feet away from where Heero stood. Dederi growled. "Don't  
come close. You will die if you attempt to kill me. I do not  
want to kill those I was not sent to kill." And with that,  
Dederi walked into the hallway and pushed the light glass  
doors open and into the mansion courtyard. [Unless, of course,  
they get in my way.]  
  
Haruka stood up and hit the oak table in front of her. "How  
dare she do that! She had no right!"  
  
"What I am wondering is, why would she tell us not to come  
close?" Quatre asked as he assisted Minako in helping Makoto  
up and onto the couch. "And how could Ms. Kino not kick her when  
Dederi turned her back?"  
  
Nova stood up. [Dederi..] She was about to walk out of the  
room to follow Dederi when a hand was put on her shoulder. She  
sighed and looked down. "What do you want, Mercury?" She turned.  
  
Ami had a worried expression on her face. "You seem to know  
something none of us know, Nova-kun. I am wondering what it is."  
  
"I cannot tell, gomen ne."  
  
Ami took her hand off Nova's shoulder. "Why not?"  
  
Nova smiled sadly to Ami. "I am very sorry, Mercury. I cannot.  
For if you found out, Dederi would have my head." She turned  
and left, leaving the rest of the senshi and pilots to wonder  
what she meant.  
  
"Those two seem very different from the rest of you." Trowa  
pointed out. "Why didn't those two appear within that vision,  
Setsuna-kun?"  
  
Setsuna sighed. "Nova is not of the Silver Millenium, and Dederi  
was not an important part of the Moon Kingdom's history until  
now."  
  
"What do you know about Youhko?" Heero queried.  
  
Michiru looked out the window. "We do not know of anything   
dealing with this Youhko, but we do know that he was the cause  
of Serenity-hime's untimely and mysterious death. Dederi-kun  
somehow has a connection with Youhko. She has visions of what  
Youhko does, such as traveling dimensions or when he enters  
someone's body and destroys their soul."  
  
Something suddenly clicked in Hotaru's head. [I feel evil..]  
Then she figured it out. "Oh no..." She hurriedly jumped  
over the couch and ran out the courtyard door.  
  
The pilots narrowed their eyes and followed, as did the senshi.  
  
Dederi sighed as she leaned against the blossoming cherry  
blossom tree. [So peaceful...] "But what am I going to do..  
Peace will never last. I have to kill."  
  
"And that you shall." An eerie voice called in front of her.  
"Although, you will not kill me."  
  
"Y-Youhko." Dederi stuttered. [Kuso. I was right.]  
  
"Yes." Youhko, in his current state, had brown hair that went  
down to his shoulder blades and dark hazel eyes. He wore  
a black vest, pants, and boots, with white gloves. His right  
gloved hand glowed a mysterious black light. "You will not  
meddle in my affairs any longer, Dederi. You will die." He  
raised his right hand and threw black energy blasts at Dederi.  
Dederi quickly blocked them.   
  
"You're losing your touch, Youhko."  
  
Youhko chuckled. "No I haven't." Youhko raised his left hand  
and a energy shard pierced into Dederi's wounded shoudler.  
  
"Aaagh!" Dederi stumbled to the ground. [No..I can't die..]  
She lifted her head. Her body was smothered in her blood.  
"..You..will not get away.." Dederi lifted her hand and  
drew forth a black and red ki blast and shot it towards  
Youhko, who winced in pain. He had not expected that attack  
at all.  
  
Dederi the fell onto her right side and her dark raven eyes  
glazed over...  
  
"DEDERI-KUN!!!" Hotaru ran out the courtyard. She saw a man  
dressed in a black army suit. "You must be Youhko."  
  
Youhko laughed. "Yes, Sailor Saturn. Unfortunately, I must  
take my leave." Youhko disappeared, his menacing laugh echoing  
throughout the courtyard.  
  
Hotaru hurriedly ran over to her fallen 'leader' and examined  
her wound. The black and red blood ran freely down her sides,  
but so far there had been no infection or worse. "She  
fainted."  
  
The other pilots and senshi ran out and surrounded Hotaru  
and Dederi, who now lay unconscious in Hotaru's arms.  
  
"What happened?" Rei asked. [Grr..I'm gonna kill whoever did  
this. Even if she is a murderer.]  
  
"Dederi was attacked." Hotaru answered.  
  
Nova jumped down from the tree. "Youhko did it."  
  
Hotaru glared at the caucasian girl. "Why didn't you help her?"  
  
"Simple. Dederi went outside to see what the disturbance was.  
She had sensed Youhko way before you did, Hotaru. So, I followed  
her. But before Youhko matterialized, Dederi ordered me to  
jump up the tree so she wouldn't be seen. I argued with her,  
but she-"  
  
"Shut up, Nova, before I have to kill you." A voice below  
Hotaru scoffed.   
  
  
Duo leaped back. "Y-you-"  
  
Dederi laughed. "Yes, Maxwell. I'm conscious. Now give me some  
space so I can get up." Hotaru let go of Dederi's shoulders  
as she got up. Her legs were weak and she staggered a bit,  
but otherwise she was fine. "Nova, you didn't get caught, did  
you?"  
  
"No.."  
  
"Good." Dederi nodded.   
  
"Let's get inside, alright?" Ami supported Dederi.  
  
Dederi grunted as she went back to her old self. "Get off  
me, Mercury." Dederi pushed her off. Ami nearly fell, but   
was saved by Nova's left arm. Nova pushed her slowly back up.  
  
Nova grinned. "You must realize that it will take quite some  
time for us to trust you, Mercury." Dederi turned around and   
walked back into the mansion with Nova.  
  
Nova and Dederi walked into the kitchen to get a cold cloth  
to clean Dederi's wounds. Nova sighed. "You know, just because  
we are partners doesn't mean you have to take shots and energy  
blasts to save me all the time."  
  
Dederi wouldn't answer. She refused to say that she cared about  
Nova because she was her only friend, because then she would  
be showing a weakness.   
  
Nova re-wrapped Dederi's shoulder. "Fine, you don't have to  
answer. But tell me; why did you decline that mission when you  
were at the hospital?"  
  
"I do not know, Nova-kun."  
  
Meanwhile, the gundam pilots sat in the living room, talking  
about the two girls who claimed to be on 'missions'. The  
five sat down on the plush couches as they ignored Duo's  
musings.   
  
"Man, those girls are hot! And I mean, all of them!" Duo  
exclaimed.  
  
Wufei sighed. "Kisama. They're all just weak onnas."  
  
"Aww, Wu-man. You gotta admit those are some fine chicks."  
  
Wufei didn't answer.  
  
"What I am wondering is, why are those other girls so hostile  
to Dederi and Nova? They are kind to us, but angry to them."  
Trowa asked.  
  
Quatre shook his head, his platinum locks shifting. "I don't  
know. You asked that question before, but I've never seen  
any reason why. I mean, I can see that Dederi really is a   
good person. Like that time Heero meant to shoot Nova but  
Dederi pushed her out of the way to take the shot."  
  
"Well, you gotta admit. Dederi isn't as friendly as the others."  
Duo added.  
  
"She's very cold-hearted to people other than her partner,  
and she almost always glares at the other senshi." Quatre said.  
  
"And she seems like she's dedicated to her work, whatever  
that is."  
  
"And she's very good with a sword, much to my suprise." Wufei  
said.  
  
Duo looked down. "If you out these characteristics together  
it almost seems as if-"  
  
"As if she was the 'perfect soldier'." Trowa finished.  
  
"That onna is pretty good, I must admit." Wufei admitted.  
  
Duo laughed. "Did Wu-man just compliment a girl?"  
  
"My name is Wufei, Maxwell!" Wufei took out his katana and  
began to swipe at him. Duo cried as he ducked behind the  
couch. All the while, Heero didn't say anything.  
  
Dederi and Nova walked out to the living room, only to find  
five pairs of eyes staring at them.  
  
"What?" Nova asked.  
  
Heero glared. "Who do you work for?"  
  
Dederi sighed in annoyance. [Rozielle will have my head for  
this.] "We work for the Romeclyst Prevention. In our dimension,  
we are the top two assassins in the world."  
  
[I was right. Dederi IS a perfect soldier.] Duo sweatdropped.  
[Just great. Another Heero to deal with.]  
  
"Why are the others so hostile to you?" Quatre asked.  
  
Dederi smirked at their random questions of partnership between  
her and the other senshi. She thought it was rather fun. But,  
she'd rather be alone. She was used to it that way. Dederi   
shifted her gaze to the corridor to the right of her. [The   
training room is down that corridor. I'm out of shape.] She   
turned back to the six pairs of eyes awaiting her answer.  
"They think of me as unfit to have the title of Sailor Moon and  
keeper of the Imperium Crystal. On the contrary, they see me  
as impurity itself." That was that. She then bowed, then turned  
and walked towards the right corridor to find the training room.  
  
The caucasian bowed also and followed after Dederi. [Dederi's  
more hostile than usual. Damnit, what's wrong now?]  
  
Duo looked at her fleeting form. [Man, she's hot.]  
  
Dederi turned the brass handle of the cherry-oak door that lead  
to the training room. She smirked as she walked inside, her  
leather cloak wafting mysteriously along the wind that the   
door gave off when she closed it. [It's not half as good as I  
expected it to be. Hmph. Romeclyst's training facilities are  
way better than this second rate crap.]  
  
She took off her leather cloak and scarlet-red tank top. All   
that covered her now was her chest bindings and bandages, along  
with her long black pants. Dederi sat on a wooden bench and  
put her cloak and shirt aside. She took off her black boots  
and socks. The metallic 'clink' of the two daggers she hid  
in her two boots rang throughout the room as she tossed them  
aside.  
  
The raven-haired assassin stood up and walked over to   
five pale-blue lockers that rested behind her. She put her   
hand to her chin as she looked over them. They had the five  
pilots' names engraved on the top. [Hmm. Which pilot would  
have the best training gear?] She took her left fist and  
harshly punched the blue locker with the name "Yuy Heero"  
engraved on it. Her punch left a fist-sized hole in the  
center of the metal, causing the door of it to crash down.  
Dederi caught the destroyed metal locker door and tossed  
it aside. She could use that metal later.  
  
[Ah, there's what I need.] Dederi rummaged through Heero's  
belongings and scraps of crooked metal. She pulled out  
boxing tape (AN: I forgot what it's called. ^^;). Dederi  
pulled off about two pieces of the black rosin-powdered  
tape, three and a half feet long each. She wrapped each of them  
around her hands. She clapped her hands together to test  
how much rosin would cloud up. [Just as I thought. Perfect.]  
  
Dederi threw the leftover roll of boxing tape into the  
plastic garbage can next to the lockers. She looked around  
some more. [Two punching bags, one boxing ring, one  
balance beam, two iron weight-lifting machines, and an indoor  
swimming pool in the next room. Kuso, even Kinzoku has better  
equipment. Oh well, I'll deal with it.] She walked over  
to one of the red punching bags and began beating the crap out  
of it.  
  
Nova sighed as she opened the oak door to find Dederi standing  
over a large pile of sand and red leather. [Nani yo..Can't  
she control herself? It's not even her property.] She walked  
over to her partner and looked down at the pile of dust.  
"You can't take it easy, can you?"  
  
Dederi remained quiet, although she scowled fiercely as she  
began to pound the second punching bag into a pulp.   
  
Nova looked over at the pale blue lockers as Dederi continued.  
"And you can't take any consideration to other people's property,  
either."  
  
She continued punching the red bag. "I don't care what happens  
to anyone else, or their belongings."  
  
"You mean, besides your Romeclyst partner."  
  
Dederi grinned. "Hai. If you died, I would have to find another  
partner that I could decently spar with."  
  
Nova let down her hair at that moment, her brown-with-blond-  
highlights locks flowing down to her shoulder blades. She  
ran her fair-skinned hand through her highlighted tresses,  
letting the feel of her feather light hair caress her fingers.  
"True."  
  
Dederi jump-kicked the top of the punching bag.   
  
Nova sat down on the wooden bleachers, the smell of old, used  
pine going through her nostrils. She settled her elbows  
to her knees and looked down. "So what do we do now?"  
  
Dederi punched through the center of the bag, excess grains of  
sand sifting through the hole and down the sides of the leather-  
like material. She was suprised it hadn't fallen down yet.   
Dederi continued to punch. "Rozielle told me to destroy Chang.  
I have denied the mission. She has not told me further   
information, nor orders."  
  
Outside the doors of the training room, the five Gundam pilots  
peeked through the crack of the doorway and listened to the  
two girls' conversation.  
  
"Ow! Get your foot off mine!" Duo whined to Wufei, who purposely  
stepped on the braided-baka's foot.  
  
"Be quiet, Duo. I can't hear what the two are saying." Heero  
glared.  
  
Wufei mumbled something about killing Duo.  
  
"We shouldn't be doing this.." Quatre said. Ironically, though,  
he looked through the crack of the doorway with interest.  
  
"..." Trowa, in other words, didn't say anything.  
  
Duo noticed the fallen punching bag. "D-d-don't t-tell m-me  
t-t-hat-t s-s-she d-did t-that..!?" He eyed the raven-haired  
girl who continued to repeatedly punch the second bag. [Eep.  
Okay, I'm scared now...]  
  
Nova bit her lip. "When are we going home?"  
  
"As soon as possible."  
  
Nova ceased biting her lip as a small trail of blood trickled  
down her chin. "Dederi-kun..what would Rozielle say if I didn't  
want to completely go home?"  
  
Dederi stopped punching and kicking and closed her eyes.  
"She would say what a foolish decision you were making and you  
should stay by Romeclyst. But why would you want such a thing?  
To stay in a dimension you do not belong in?"  
  
"I..am.." Nova mumbled. [No use hiding it..] "I am..attracted to  
one of the Gundam pilots.."  
  
Dederi turned around, an astonished and furious look on her  
pale face. "You what?!" Instantly, she calmed down. Her shoulders  
calmed, and she turned back to immediately punching the   
nearly-destroyed bag. "Which one."  
  
"Pilot 02; Duo Maxwell."  
  
Dederi smiled a rare smile at her. But, it looked more like a   
sad smile. "I wish I could understand such human emotions."  
  
Nova, in turn, returned a sad smile. "But you are 1/3 human,  
aren't you? What's the difference? You still have human emotions."  
  
"You know the truth. 1/3 youkai. 1/3 dragon. 1/3 human. Full  
version of youkai and dragon, but the only thing human about  
me is my first and human form."  
  
"Still, you have, somewhat, a human heart."  
  
"Hn. Doesn't matter. I wish to understand emotions, not have them,  
Nova-kun. You know that."  
  
Nova smirked. "So you wish to protect, but remain heartless.  
Tell me, do you feel some attraction to one of the pilots as well,  
Dederi-kun?"  
  
Dederi jerked backwards, heat flooding her cheeks.  
  
Back behind the large wooden doors, the five pilots stood  
motionless. Dederi was a youkai AND a dragon but only one-third  
human? Duo, although furiously blushing because of Nova's  
previous confession, stared wide-eyed as he listened closely  
to the rest of the conversation, as did the other pilots.  
  
"I-I am an assassin. I have no such feelings." Dederi motioned  
Nova with her left hand to change the subject as she turned   
around, as to hide her red cheeks.  
  
Nova grinned slyly as she rested her chin on her palms. "Hey,  
even assassins have social lives. Look at me, I'm one of the  
two top assassins in the world and I just confessed I was  
attracted to someone."  
  
Dederi coughed.  
  
Nova growled. "Dederi.."  
  
Dederi put her hands up in defeat. "Fine, fine. I'll tell you.  
But if you reveal what I am about to say to ANYONE," She  
paused and took out her .45 calibur rifle out of no where.  
"You're dead."  
  
Nova nodded. She was used to Dederi's threats at gunpoint.  
  
Dederi whispered into Nova's ear. "The one I have feelings for  
is-" She lowered her voice and told the name. Dederi then  
walked back towards the punching bag to train. "Happy now?"  
  
Nova blinked. "Why do you like him? He's so quiet and, well,  
sure he's absolutely gorgeous but-"  
  
Dederi just shrugged. "I don't know. I told you I don't know  
human emotions. I'm not even sure if I even DO like him. But  
it doesn't matter. We'll be back in our dimension as soon as  
we finish our task and destroy that soul-sucking scum into  
oblivion."  
  
======  
AN: PHEW! What a LOONG chapter. Are ya ppl happy? ^_^  
  
AN2: Oh, btw. PLEASE email me for the couples..NEED HELP!  
All I need is the pairings for Heero, Trowa, and Wufei. PLEASE  
EMAIL ME, m'kay?  
  
Email: ketsekiburade@hotmail.com (btw, i changed my email address  
so don't be confused. I'm not using dragonsbane013@hotmail.com  
anymore, so don't bother emailing me using that address.) 


	5. Going Undercover at the Peacecraft Ball

Lunar Succession  
  
Author: ~Heartless Spirit~  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own SM or GW. I DO own Dederi, so no stealin'!  
  
AN: btw, I didn't put the ages...so here they are!  
  
Heero, Duo, Quatre, and Wufei-16  
Trowa-17  
Inners-16  
Michiru and Haruka-19  
Hotaru-14  
Setsuna-(appearance) 22, (actual) @_@ Like I know exactly how old  
she is. Pishwah, I have no clue.  
Nova and Dederi-17  
  
(AN: YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ THE FIRST CHAPTER OF 'TSURIDERAGON NO  
CHIONIKURESU' TO UNDERSTAND THIS AND THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS)  
  
======  
Lunar Succession  
======  
Chapter 5-Going Undercover at the Peacecraft Ball  
======  
  
Dederi, after destroying two of Quatre's leather punching bags,  
went over to the large $1 per bottle machine and inserted a   
one dollar bill into the money slot. She pressed a button and  
a liter water bottle fell out. Dederi picked it up and opened the  
bottle as Nova tied her hair back into place.  
  
"Dederi-kun, how is it that you always manage to stay serious in  
the most humorous of times?" Nova mused. "I mean, when everyone's  
laughing you scowl so fiercely any normal person would be sent  
into a mental institution."  
  
Dederi took a large gulp of her water. "Just the way I am."  
  
"Hmph. No wonder you like him. You act just like him."  
  
"Shut up." Dederi retorted, glaring at her comrad. She took   
another sip of her water, then tossed it carelessly into the  
plastic wastebasket.  
  
At this moment the oak door, thought to be durable enough to  
withstand the weight of five boys, crashed down with an   
extremely large "THUMP!". Dederi and Nova turned their gaze  
to the fallen oak door, with five teenage boys who were,   
undoubtedly, in shock.  
  
Dederi put her hands to her temples. [Kuso. That means they  
easedropped on us.]  
  
Nova sweatdropped. "I say we throw them into the pool while  
they're in a state of shock." Dederi laughed menacingly.  
  
"A tempting proposition, but Setsuna would have my head. That is,  
if she caught me unguarded."  
  
Nova growled.  
  
Dederi sighed. [I'm angry too, but Nova's ready to kill.] "Fine,  
fine. We'll go hold them at gunpoint."  
  
"Arigato." Nova grumbled her thanks as she took out her two  
white custom-made handguns from her back jean pockets.   
  
"I'll hold the three monotones, you handle the friendly ones."  
Dederi said coldly as Nova tossed her two black custom-made  
handguns to her.   
  
Dederi clicked the safety on her guns off and kneeled down next  
to Wufei, Trowa, and Heero. She chuckled as she held her two  
guns at Heero and Trowa's heads. Her left foot was a few   
millimeters away from crushing Wufei's neck. Heero, after a  
few moments of violent shaking, blinked and cleared his   
vision.  
  
The Perfect Soldier awoke to find himself held at gunpoint  
by the girl that rivaled him for the title of 'Perfect Soldier'.  
Heero groaned and attempted to reach into his pocket to   
grab his gun when Dederi shook her head. "I wouldn't do that  
if I were you. I could pull the trigger, or crush Wufei's  
neck."  
  
Wufei, Trowa, Duo, and Quatre awoke from their states of shock  
when they heard the death threat. Duo and Quatre awoke to  
find themselves held at gunpoint by Nova, who stood right  
inbetween them with the guns held right on top of their  
noses. Trowa found himself having the black gun right on  
top of his adam's apple while Wufei found himself having the  
black leather smell of Dederi's boot on his neck. One thing was  
certain: they all were now in a state of fear, except for  
Heero, who just laid there, glaring at Dederi's emotionless  
face.  
  
"Y-yo, Nova..W-why are you-"  
  
Nova's scowl deepened. "You listened in on our conversation,  
braided baka. I want a sincere apology." Her grip on both  
guns tightened.  
  
"From all of you." Dederi continued. "It was an invasion of our  
privacy, and if you do not apologize you will pay with your  
lives."  
  
"I apologize." Quatre said sincerely, his face showing fear.  
  
"I apologize." Trowa stared into Dederi's dark red (near black)  
eyes, giving her a chill down her spine. Dederi released the  
trigger and put away her left handgun, giving Trowa some space  
to get up. Quatre was let go as well.  
  
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I don't wanna die!" Duo wailed. Nova  
laughed and let him go.  
  
Nova put away her guns. "Well, my two captives apologized." She  
now stood over Dederi and her two 'prisoners'.  
  
"I refuse to apologize to weak onnas." Wufei glared fiercely.  
  
Heero gave the famous 'Heero Yuy Death GlareTM' and sighed,  
defeated. "I apologize."  
  
"I still refuse to apologize to an onna." Wufei's scowl deepened,  
although his forehead was now drenched in nervous sweat.  
  
Dederi frowned and whispered into his ear, quiet enough for  
only Wufei to hear. "Not even to me?" She grinned.  
  
Wufei jerked nervously, then crossed his arms in defiance.  
"Well I-"  
  
"Well?" Dederi stared.  
  
The Chinese boy groaned in defeat. [She'll crush my neck if I  
don't.] "Fine, I apologize."  
  
Dederi grinned in triumph. "Arigato, Wufei-kun." She released her  
foot from his fair-skinned neck.  
  
Wufei scowled and went off to his room.  
  
Now, the only people that remained in the room were Duo, Heero,   
Nova, and Dederi. Nova covered her mouth to hide her happy  
smile of satisfaction as Dederi walked towards the balance beam.  
Heero watched as she performed hard flips and exersizes. He  
also noticed that her shoulder where he shot her was in a shade  
of purple and red. Heero looked at her so intently that he had  
not noticed that she had now stopped and was now staring back.  
Heero blinked. [What the..]  
  
"Why are you staring at me, Yuy?" Dederi barked.  
  
"Nothing." Heero replied.  
  
[Why is he staring at me like that?] Dederi asked herself as she  
resumed her balancing exersizes. Heero turned his back and  
walked towards his locker, which was door-less. He saw the pale  
blue metal that was previously the door to his locker a few  
few away from him. As he looked into his locker, he heard  
Duo and Nova chatting with each other, most likely flirting.  
  
"Hey Heero-kun, you have a phone call." Haruka grumbled as she  
walked into the training room. Heero walked over to the impatient  
wind senshi and took the phone from her grasp. Haruka stalked  
off.  
  
Heero put his ear to the ivory-white phone, putting his other  
hand into his pocket. "Who is this."  
  
"It's Dr.J, Heero." The old, raspy voice replied.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Heero heard a mechanical noise in the background. Probably his  
mechanical hand stroking his gray whiskers. "You and the other  
pilots have a mission. Protect Relena Peacecraft. Rommefeller  
is attempting to kill her."  
  
Heero closed his prussian eyes in disgust. "Where do we have to  
be?"  
  
"At the Peacecraft Ball, for Relena's sixteenth birthday. The  
party starts at seven tonight." Heero looked at the black square  
clock on the west wall of the training room. It read four o'clock.  
Meanwhile, Dr.J continued. "You must go undercover, as does the  
rest of the pilots."  
  
"Mission accepted."  
  
======  
  
The clock read six thirty-five PM in the living room. The five  
boys waited impatiently for the ten girls to come downstairs  
so that they could attend the ball. The five Gundam pilots wore  
black tuxedos with scarlet red vests and black bowties. They  
looked quite handsome.  
  
Wufei grumbled. "I still don't understand why I have to wear  
this stupid suit. This is injustice! And why do those onnas  
have to come!?"  
  
"Because, Wu-man, Dr. J told us that we had to go undercover.  
And besides, if there are some assassins trying to kill Relena,  
(everyone groans in disgust) those senshi can help us. Especially  
Dederi and Nova." Duo said in a matter-of-fact tone, smirking  
at Wufei's scowling face.  
  
"Alright, alright. That explains the onnas coming along, but it  
doesn't explain why I have to wear this tuxedo!" Wufei growled.  
"I'd rather be wearing my traditional Chinese clothing."  
  
"At least you don't have to wear a dress, Chang." A strong  
feminine voice groaned behind the boys. The five boys turned  
to see Dederi in a beautiful white form-fitting gown that reached  
to her ankles. It was low cut and the sleeves only covered her  
shoulders. Around her shoulders was a long, black, transparent   
shawl. The black shawl shimmered, as if there were actual stars  
embedded into them. There was a long slit on the right side of   
the dress, reaching up to her knee. She wore white high heels   
and the final touches to her clothing were her white gloves,   
reaching up to her forearm.   
  
All five pilots blushed slightly. Dederi crossed her arms and  
groaned. "I'd rather wear a tux than a dress. Especially if it's  
white."  
  
[She looks just fine.] Heero thought. [Beautiful actually.   
Practically gorg-] Heero shook his head. He mentally hit himself  
for thinking that.  
  
"But you look good in it, Dederi." Duo complimented.  
  
"I look like a gold digger."  
  
Duo scratched his head. "Well, now that you mention it-"  
  
"Alright, that's it! I am absolutely NOT wearing a dress!"  
Dederi stormed back up the stairs. The boys could hear   
female voices arguing and bickering. Suddenly, Dederi walked  
back down the stairs, Nova glaring at her as she walked next to  
her.   
  
Duo stared at Nova. [She looks like an angel.] Nova was  
currently wearing a low cut white dress, reaching down to her  
knees. Transparent white scarves were tied around her waist and  
two ends went down the sides of her dress. The scarves also  
looked like they had stars in them. She wore crystal pins in her  
hair. Her hair itself was in a bun, with two thick bangs going  
down the sides of her face. She had the same gloves Dederi had,  
as well as the same shoes.  
  
Dederi scowled deeply at Nova. "How did you talk me into wearing  
a dress, Nova-kun? I can't believe I'm wearing this skimpy gown."  
  
"It's because you have to, Dederi-kun. You may threaten me,  
but if you refuse to wear that gown, you know what will happen."  
  
Dederi only grumbled. [Kuso. If I disagree she'll reveal who  
I am interested in. Damn this dress..DAMN human emotions.]  
  
"Hey, you guys ready?" Makoto said as she trotted down the  
stairs, her dress flailing wildly.   
  
"Yea! I'm ready to go!" Minako jumped excitedly.  
  
Quatre and Wufei stared.  
  
(I'm not going to go into details, so I'll just say what the  
others wore:  
  
Makoto-form fitting dark green Japanese-style turtleneck gown  
reaching down to her ankles, emerald barrettes and gold bracelet.  
Dark green high heels. Her hair is as it usually is, w/ the  
barrettes.  
Minako-Marigold sleeveless gown, with gold-colored silk shawl  
and large orange bow in her hair. Gold/orange high heels.  
Ami-Spaghetti strap blue form-fitting gown reaching down to her  
ankle. Sky blue high heels. Long sky blue gloves to upper arm.  
Rei-Same as Ami, but fire-red. Scarlet ribbon choker tied around  
her neck.  
Hotaru-dark purple leather dress, white silk long sleeves with  
v-neck. Purple cuffs and purple boots similar to her senshi  
outfit. A long purple bow in her hair.  
Haruka-black tux with sea blue vest, black bowtie and black  
leather shoes.  
Michiru-Pale aquamarine form-fitting gown, sleeveless. Hair  
is tied up in a long, slender white bow. White pearl earrings,  
Pale aquamarine gloves, reaching to upper arm.  
Setsuna-Similar to usual purple and white business suit (what she  
almost always wears) except the purple skirt is longer, reaching  
to her ankles. Amethyst earrings.  
  
Wow. That was long..[ahem] Anyway, back to the fic. ^^)  
  
Dederi looked at the other girls, who were giggling and occasionally  
glanced over in the boys' direction. She hit her forehead in   
exasperation. [How the hell did I get stuck with preppies?] "Nova."  
The raven-haired monotone motioned her partner to where she was.   
  
"What is it, Dederi?" Nova asked, trying to resist from blushing,  
for Duo was apparently staring at her dreamily with his beautiful  
cobalt eyes.  
  
Dederi whispered so that Nova would be the only one to hear her.  
"You brought your guns with you, right?"  
  
"Of course. Like I would go anywhere without them." She lowered  
one of her long sleeved gloves to reveal one small handgun tied to  
her wrist. "Don't worry, it's small enough not to show."  
  
"Why would I worry?" Dederi heard a slight ringing noise behind her.  
It was Quatre's phone. She looked around, noticing that the pilots and  
the other senshi were still talking and flirting, with the exeption of  
Heero, and walked over to pick up the phone. The ivory handle was cold  
in her strong grasp. She put the phone to her ear.  
  
~Komban wa. Who is this?~ Dederi decided to be polite.  
  
A menacing male voice was on the other line. ~Ah, Dederi. Just the   
assassin I wanted to speak to. How are you this wonderful evening?~  
  
Dederi froze. ~Y-Youhko.~  
  
~Yes.~ Youhko paused, then continued. ~I need you to do a job for me.~  
  
~Why would I work for a demon like you?!~ She spat at him.  
  
~Oh, I wouldn't talk like that if I were you. You see, when I went to  
your ORIGINAL dimension, you remember, your birthplace that you left  
because you were needed in the early Silver Millenium, I took a,~  
he laughed,~hostage to secure my plan to secure my domination over the  
universe.~  
  
Dederi scowled. [My original birthplace? Who would he take hostage?  
Would it be..no...] ~It's him, isn't it?~  
  
~Yes. If you want to see him again, ALIVE, you will do exactly as you  
are told.~  
  
Dederi growled. ~Tell me what to do.~  
  
Youhko menacingly laughed in triumph. ~Eliminate Relena Peacecraft, of  
the Earth Sphere Alliance, princess and fake sovreign of the Earth Sphere.~  
  
~How do I know you won't kill him when I eliminate Relena.~  
  
~My right hand man will personally see to it that he gets returned alive  
to you. He will be watching you on the second floor railings to the left,  
behind one of the pillars.~  
  
~How will you get him to me? Guards surround the whole building.~ Dederi's  
anger was projected in her deep voice. Fire was burning in her raven orbs,  
hate and corrosive anger clouded her judgement.  
  
~We will be sure to deliver him to the front porch of the Winner Mansion.~  
Youhko paused, the added,~Alive.~  
  
Dederi didn't trust him one bit. [He'll pull something.] ~Mission accepted.~  
  
The line went dead. Dederi had just made a deal with the devil himself.  
  
She put down the phone, the ivory clicking onto the hooks of the main piece.  
Dederi turned to Nova. "Are we ready to go now?"  
  
"Yeah, but who was that, Dederi-chan? Whoever it was seemed to really  
make you nervous."  
  
"It was no one. Let's go."  
  
Nova nodded.  
  
When Nova and Dederi returned to the crowd of pilots and senshi, they  
had paired up as undercover dates to fool the Rommefeller troops.   
Duo spoke up to explain what they were going to do. "Alrighty, here's the  
thing; Minako will go with Q-man, Makoto will go with Wu-man," he ignored  
the glare from the Chinese pilot, "Trowa will go with Hotaru, Hee-man will  
go with Dede-chan, and I will go with the lovely lady that goes by the name,  
Nova." Dederi scowled at Duo's nickname for her, took out a metal mallet,  
and hit him repeatedly with it. Duo winced in pain. Nova grimaced and helped  
Duo to his feet as her partner put her heavy weapon into its subspace pocket.  
Wufei laughed at the crumpled form of the braided American.   
  
After a minor dispute about who should go with who, mostly with Wufei's  
hate for women and Heero's monotone glare, everyone walked outside to   
the stretch limo and were on their way to Relena's birthday party.  
  
(Time and Location Change: 7:15PM, Peacecraft Estate, West Ballroom)  
  
The fifteen teenagers, with the exeption of Setsuna, orderly made their way  
through the doors of the west ballroom. The walls held cascades of   
lights and plants, most of which were lilies and white roses, and in the  
front of the room was a large banquet table about two to three feet above  
the ground, adorned with long silk red scarves and gold buttons. In front  
of the large table was a large, oak dance floor, on which most people were  
waltzing on.  
  
Yep, Relena wanted everything to be rich and fancy. Speaking of Relena,  
she was sitting at the center of the elevated table, next to her brother,  
Milliardo Peacecraft. Guards were everywhere.  
  
"Wow, this place is gorgeous!" Makoto exclaimed, taking in the decorations  
and the hundreds of people who were dressed in fine, exquisite clothing.  
  
Heero, noticing Relena's advance toward them, instinctively grabbed  
Dederi's shoulder and glared at her. "Relena's coming. Play along."  
Dederi smirked, understanding.   
  
"Alright. Sounds like fun, Yuy." She smiled a mischevious smile. Heero  
smirked. Yes, it will be fun.  
  
Relena wore her royal blue gown, with fluffly white frills around the   
bottom of the dress. She wore long blue gloves and had her hair in it's  
usual braided fashion. "HEEEEEEEERRROOOOOOO!!!!" Relena nearly glomped  
Heero if she didn't see Dederi's hand in Heero's. She scowled fiercely.  
"And who may I ask, are you?" [Who does this hussy think she is?! Holding  
my Heero's hand like that!]  
  
Dederi grinned. "Why, I'm Heero's date for this ball."  
  
Relena froze. "You lie."  
  
"No. Why would I lie about a thing like that?" Her grin deepened.  
  
Relena was at a loss for words. Her Heero? Dating a black-haired gold  
digger? Heero wasn't that kind of guy. Relena then stalked off,  
thinking up some plan to prove Dederi wrong.  
  
Duo, the senshi, and the rest of the pilots burst out laughing. Some  
nearly started to cry from laughing to hard.  
  
Duo's face was red as he tried to contol himself. "Oh, man! That was  
the best joke I've ever seen in my entire life!"  
  
Heero and Dederi didn't laugh, just smirked. "Well, from the way this  
room was decorated, she's spoiled." Dederi remarked, trying to hide  
her satisfied grin.  
  
Quatre held out his hand to Minako. "Mina-chan, would you like to dance?"  
  
Minako blushed. "Sure!"  
  
Makoto grabbed Wufei's arm, causing him to jerk in suprise. "Hey, c'mon!  
Let's dance!"   
  
Wufei sweatdropped. "Whatever."  
  
Duo and Nova went over to the buffet table to look at the delicacies that  
were contained in heated metal plates. Soon, they were eating like   
they were starving and would die if they didn't eat anything.  
  
Trowa walked over to the raven assassin. "Would you like to dance, Dederi-  
kun?" He felt awkward.  
  
Dederi turned to face Trowa's beautiful green eyes. [Wha?] "Oh, sure."  
She took his hand and he lead her to the dance floor, leaving Heero to  
try and hide from Relena.  
  
"You look very beautiful, Minako-chan." Quatre smiled warmly. Minako had  
to try and not melt into his arms.   
"Arigato, Quatre-chan. You look handsome, yourself." Minako beamed.  
As they waltzed on the dance floor, Quatre looked around, as did Minako.  
Suddenly, Quatre's eyes grew wide. "Who would've thought."  
"What?" Minako looked at Quatre. "What? Is there something wrong?"  
"Huh? Oh, no. I'm just suprised Dederi is dancing with Trowa."  
"What?!" Minako hurriedly scanned the floor to find Trowa and Dederi. "Whoa!  
They are!" She turned her attention to Quatre once more. "What do you say we  
set them up, Quatre-chan?"  
"What?"  
"You know, get them alone somewhere."  
"No, I don't think it's a good idea."  
"Quatre." Minako whined. "It'll be fun, I promise."  
"Oh, alright." Quatre gave in.   
  
As Dederi and Trowa danced, Dederi noticed that Trowa's eyes were completely  
fixated on her. As Trowa dipped Dederi (AN: the guy supports the girl with  
his hand while she falls back), Dederi noticed something on the second floor  
railing move. It looked like-  
  
"Shimatta. He's here." Dederi mumbled. She moved closer to Trowa as they  
began to waltz again.  
Trowa was confused. "Who is?"  
She stopped dancing and dropped her left glove onto the floor, making Trowa  
even more confused. "Damnit. He's gonna make sure I do it. I should've known  
he would."  
"Who?"  
Dederi wanted to tell him, but she was sworn to secrecy. She wasn't about to  
let him die because she failed to assassinate one person. "I'm sorry."  
She unlocked her handgun. "I can't tell you." She then looked into his  
green orbs. They made her want to melt. [What is this feeling?] She shook  
away her thoughts and turned her attention to Relena Peacecraft, who now  
stood at the elevated banquet table in the front of the room. "Trowa, don't  
stop me." She then moved away from Trowa and aimed her gun at the sovreign's  
chest. [Time to get my priorities straight.]  
  
======  
AN: Uh, how was it? Was it good, or bad????  
  
Since it's Spring Break, I'll get my chapter out as soon as poossiibble.   
  
email: ketsekiburade@hotmail.com 


	6. At the Price of A Death...

Lunar Succession  
  
Author: ~Heartless Spirit~  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own SM or GW. I DO own Dederi, so no stealin'!  
  
AN: Eeparoonies! I've gotten over my writer's block.  
  
For those who thought I was a lazy bum:  
  
Please hold for: HAA!  
  
Dederi: Get on with the fic, HS-baka.  
  
HS: HOW DARE YOU!  
  
Dederi: [points gun and shoots]  
  
HS: Okay, THAT'S how. ehehe....^^;;   
  
HS: .....STILL DON"T KNOW ALL OF THE COUPLES! I ONLY KNOW one, two, three!  
  
======  
Lunar Succession  
======  
Chapter 6-At the Price of A Death...  
======  
  
Dederi aimed her gun towards the chest of the sovreign of the Earth Sphere. Trowa, who was next to her, turned to the   
direction that she had her gun pointed to. His face was left emotionless, but he realized exactly what she was going to do,  
but didn't understand why. The sounds of people talking and laughing didn't help Dederi much with this assassination, but  
she was unfazed. She pulled the trigger.  
  
*BANG*   
  
*BANG*  
  
She shot two bullets, each shot two seconds apart. Dederi heard a scream from the elevated table. She squinted to see  
clearly, since it was far away, and found that she had succeeded. Relena Peacecraft, the spoiled princess and sovreign of  
Earth Sphere, had been shot once in the shoulder, and one in the left lung, which was about one and a half inches away  
from her heart. She was losing a lot of blood. Now that her mission had been completed, she had to make a run for it.  
But where was she going to go? Dederi had about ten seconds before the guards got to her, but she knew exactly where to go.  
[Quatre's mansion. They won't look for me where the gundam pilots live.] She didn't have time to react as two shots fired  
in her direction. [SHIT.] She looked around. There were two Peacecraft sniper guards on the second floor railing, about  
around ten foot soldiers on each side of her, and about six guards at the entrace. [How typical. Oh well, it's been  
worse.] She then spotted an open window to the left of her. It led out to the valet parking lot, but four guards were  
standing guard in front of it. Dederi spotted Heero and Trowa coming towards her, with Duo, Quatre, and WUfei. They had  
their guns ready and loaded. A guard, out of no where, used the butt of his rifle to jam Dederi in the small of her back.  
She fell down, wincing in pain. [It's all over. I failed.]   
  
"Get up!"  
  
"Dede-chan, you a'ight, babe?"  
  
Dederi blinked. Heero? Duo?  
  
"Dederi-kun, get the hell out of here!" She slowly stood up, still having the effects of the hit. Heero was standing in  
front of her, Trowa and Quatre in the back. Wufei and Duo were on the left and right.  
  
Dederi stood up and fired shots into the guards coming forward. "Why help me, I just assassinated your princess. Why didn't   
you leave me to die?"  
  
Heero's voice remained monotone and untainted. "Just get the hell out of here! Go to the magunacs' hangar on the north  
side of Quatre's estate. I'll explain there."  
  
Dederi slowly nodded. [Why the hell would he risk his life just to get me out of here?] She thought as she ran for  
the front door. The teenage girl then jump-kicked two guards, each at their jaws. A man then grabbed her from behind.  
"I..won't surrender to you jackasses!" Dederi yelled as she jabbed him in the chest with her utility knife. Blood  
splashed out of the man's mouth, and onto Dederi's face and chest. The metallic taste and corrosive smell made her  
realize something. [Sailor Senshi! Where are they?!] She turned back around. The girls, not yet transformed, were  
surrounded by guards. "They must have known I came with them. Damnit." She ran towards the girls.   
  
Nova was holding the guards off with her two handguns and Haruka, Michiru, Rei, and Makoto were in their own   
separate "sparring" matches with other guards. She grinned. "Nova, get Ami, Hotaru, Setsuna, and Minako out of here."  
  
Nova continued to shoot. "All right, but why'd you shoot Relena?! It wasn't a mission!"  
  
"I'll explain later. Go!"  
  
She then ran to the four other senshi that were duking it out with the soldiers. "Make a run for it! I'll explain at  
the Magunacs' hangar in the Winner Estate!" The four girls scowled at their 'leader', who was shooting the rest of  
the soldiers and guards around them, but they understood and ran for it. As the last of the senshi bolted out the  
door, she was assured that they would make it. [It's all over.]  
  
Dederi, who was surrounded by guards, began to glow a dark, bloody red and a mystic black. When she opened her eyes  
again, the soldiers became terrified. Her eyes were glowing a malicious crimson and the corrosive grin on Dederi's  
face made the guards realize one simple thing: They were dead.  
  
In both of her hands exploded black and red ki spheres, the mere presence in the vicinity of these spheres caused the  
walls of the ballroom to creak and the floors to begin to break. "Shi Kuroi." The ki spheres converted into ki blasts  
and showered the room with black and red missile-like energy. She made sure to shield the pilots who were still   
fighting off the rest of the soldiers. The soldiers and guards screamed bloody murder, then dematterialized into   
oblivion. When the ki blasts had disappeared, ruining one wall or another, there were no bodies of dead or alive  
soldiers or guards left. The normal guests, women, children, ambassadors, etc., were shielded and had not died.  
  
Dederi walked over to the pilots, surrounded by rubble and broken pieces of plates and glass. "We should go. I don't  
want to get caught by backup troops." She turned around and ran.  
  
Duo shook excess dust and pieces off his chestnut hair. "Dr. J's going to kill us."  
  
Meanwhile, the senshi, excluding Dederi, and Nova waited within the hangar. Rashid, one of the main engineers of the  
Sandrock gundam, had given them a few blankets and hot chocolate. The strong smell of the chocolate comforted some of them,  
some were made hungry.  
  
"Damn that Dederi. Why the hell did she kill that blond?! She didn't do anything!" Haruka grumbled after she took a sip  
of the chocolate. "When she gets here she has a LOT of explaining to do."  
  
Setsuna nodded. "If only there were some more background information on our new leader. We could get a better idea of how  
her mind works."  
  
"What are you saying, Sets-chan? That we try and get to know her?! You know she wouldn't want to!" Minako argued.  
  
"We could try that approach. It would allow us to not fight as often than we usually do." Ami said, hugging her blanket  
closer to her cold form.  
  
"I say we dump her and pick a better candidate for leader." Rei proposed.  
  
"No. That is not an option, Rei-chan." Setsuna refused.  
  
"Yes, Luna and Artemis had said she was the best candidate for this position. It was even advised by Serenity." Michiru  
added.  
  
Rei grumbled, impatiently. "Fine." She hated it. Rei hated it when she was outnumbered.  
  
Nova had sat next to Hotaru next to a pile of unused crates. "Leave her alone. Dederi isn't all that bad. She's just  
dedicated to her work, and her personality was not made to be changed."  
  
"Well, why is she not that bad? She treats us like we're stupid and ridiculous." Minako contemplated.  
  
Nova put down the warm mug of chocolate onto her lap. "Well, Dederi likes being alone. I would tell you more of her past,  
but-"  
  
"Look, someone's coming." Makoto pointed at the open door. She had spotted six shadows approaching the hangar. When   
the shadows became clearer, she knew who they were. "She's here."  
  
Dederi, Heero, Duo, Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei walked into the Magunacs' hangar, all drenched in sweat. Duo looked up  
and waved to Nova. [Good, they're okay.] Duo thought. "Wassup?"  
  
Nova smiled and walked over to Dederi. "And here I thought you got caught."  
  
"Ha. I've never been arrested or caught, so don't hold your breath, Nova." Dederi grinned, tired.  
  
Haruka scowled. "Now do you care to tell us why you shot that girl? She didn't do anything to you."  
  
Nova offered her partner a cup of chocolate, but Dederi shook her head, not wanting any. "I shot Relena Peacecraft   
because I was offered a job, and I took it."  
  
"By whom?" Setsuna interrogated, angered.   
  
"Youhko has a hostage. Someone who is important to me." Dederi glared.  
  
"So, you mean, Youhko was the one that called you before we left for that girl's party?" Hotaru asked.  
  
"Hn." Dederi leaned on the leg of one of the magunac's mobil suit. "Youhko would have killed the hostage if I didn't  
kill Relena Peacecraft. So, after a few minutes of thinking, I agreed. Relena Peacecraft was expendable, and was  
a FAKE sovreign and princess. I think I failed my mission, though. I missed her heart by one and a half inches,  
only hitting her lung and shoulder. She's probably still alive. Which brings me to my own question." Dederi stared  
intently at Heero and the other pilots. "Why did you save me? You are gundam pilots and were supposed to shoot the  
assassin who was to assassinate Relena Peacecraft. Why did you risk your lives to save the mere obstacle of your  
current mission?"  
  
Trowa answered first. "We promised to help the senshi, didn't we?"  
  
"Even if we did fail the mission Dr. J had given us, we just had to help." Duo added.  
  
Dederi narrowed her eyes as she stared at the silent pilot of Heavyarms. [Something doesn't seem right. There's more  
to this than they're saying.] Suddenly they heard a loud screeching noise outside, supposedly from the front  
gate.   
  
Nova looked outside. "Someone's here. Black motorcycle. Someone in a black cape and hood, I think." She squinted.  
"The rider's dropping a long black bag onto the front steps..." At that moment, Dederi pushed off of the  
mobil suit's leg and walked over to the hangar door, her hands in a cross. She looked out. The motorcyclist was  
still there, waiting on his or her motorcycle next to the bag. The bag was motionless.  
  
"Shimatta." Dederi mumbled. She walked out. Then, she increased her walking speed, then breaking out into a full  
run to the motorcycle. As she got closer, she focused her eyes on the person who was on the black motorcycle. It  
was a guy. He was her age, about five feet nine inches tall, medium build, and had, from the size of his cloak,  
two rifles on each side. Dederi reached the man and the long, human sized bag. "Is he alive?"  
  
The man, who also wore sunglasses, nodded slowly before swerving around and departing. Somehow, he had managed  
to open the steel front gates with ease and had closed them without a sound.  
  
Dederi kneeled down in front of the zipper which opened the long black bag, and slowly pulled the bag open. Inside  
there was a boy about eighteen, with impossible spiky black hair and fair skin. He also had entrancing green eyes,  
similar to Trowa's only darker. The part that suprised Dederi was, he was smiling! "Kiohime, Ibaren."  
  
(AN: For those who didn't read the first chapter of [my] anime named 'TSURIDERAGON NO CHIONIKURESU', here's a brief,  
and I mean BRIEF, description of Kiohime, Ibaren: He is a mysterious youth who comes in the middle of the series [TNC]  
to help the reincarnation of Dederi, the corrosive black dragon that he had healed billions of years ago [Ibaren is the  
reincarnation of the magi who healed the original Dederi]. He devotes himself to helping Kuroi [DEDERI's human name])  
  
He rubbed his head and sat up. "Kuro-chan, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be back in our dimension?"  
Ibaren wore his usual white t-shirt, khaki jeans, and khaki vest, along with white track sneakers. "Well?"  
  
Dederi smiled. "I'm here in the Gundam era, hunting a youkai." Dederi stood up and put her hand in front of Ibaren.  
"Get up." Ibaren gladly took her hand and lifted himself up.  
  
By the time Ibaren stood up, the senshi and pilots had surrounded them. "Who is this?" Heero scowled.  
  
"He's the hostage." Dederi laughed. Everyone, save Ibaren, stared in a suprised fashion. No one had heard her laugh  
humorously until now.  
  
"My name's Ibaren Kiohime, Kuro-chan." Ibaren glared jokingly.  
  
Minako smiled. "You know, Kiohime-kun, you seem the exact opposite of Dederi." [He's cute, but not as cute as Quatre.]  
  
Ibaren blinked. "D-Dederi?" He turned to his befriended assassin. "What are they talking about, Kuro-chan?"  
  
Duo stared. "Hey, Ibaren, why're you callin' her Kuro?"  
  
Ibaren blinked again. "Kuro-chan, I thought your name was Kuroi Abunai and your DRAGON spirit was Dederi. Unless, you  
changed your name around to hide your identity, of course."  
  
Dederi hit her friend on the head with her metal mallet. "Stupid! Now they know my real name!"  
  
*WHACK*  
  
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow..."  
  
She put her mallet away. "Get up. You're not called the Magi of Dragonn Temple for no reason."  
  
"Yeah, yeah." Ibaren got up. "So, may I ask who these other people are?"  
  
Dederi stared at Nova. "Go ahead, introduce yourself."  
  
"Huh, oh. I'm Nova, Dederi's, or Kuroi's, partner in Romeclyst."  
  
Dederi smirked. "In the SM, we're the top assassins in Earth. Anway, those are the senshi of Silver Millenium, Mercury,  
Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn." She pointed them out one by one. "And those are the gundam  
pilots, Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton, Duo Maxwell, Quatre Rabbaba Winner, and Wufei Chang."  
  
"Nice to meet you all."  
  
Each person either nodded, or said 'hello' or 'hi'.   
  
"I'm sure we have a room for you, Mr. Kiohime." Quatre said as he opened the doors to his mansion. He and Ibaren then  
walked up the main stairs so that Ibaren could be shown to his room.  
  
As everyone got inside, most of the girls and guys sat in the living room, talking about the day's events.  
  
"So, now what?" Minako said, sitting next to Makoto and Ami.  
  
"What else do we do? Go find Youhko and kill him." Dederi said rather plainly.  
  
"No! That's too dangerous. We could get killed simply barging in and killing him. There would probably be hundreds of  
guards standing watch, anyway." Setsuna retorted.  
  
Heero was on his laptop, furiously typing something in. "Make that thousands. The security systems of Rommefeller  
bases aren't as easy to crack as other organizations are, even if we've cracked them before."  
  
Dederi 'hmph'ed and began to walk towards the stairs when he spotted Quatre and Ibaren coming down. Ibaren waved,  
smiling. "Hey Kuro-chan. Can you believe this place? It's huge!"  
  
Quatre laughed. "So I've heard."  
  
Dederi shrugged and walked up the stairs and into her room. Ibaren looked back. "What's with her?"  
  
"Jeez, she's always like that!" Makoto said, aggravated. "She never stays to discuss plans!"  
  
"How strange." Ibaren said, turning towards the others. "Usually she attempts to be friendly with other people."  
  
"WHAT?!" Everyone, save Trowa and Heero, screamed.  
  
The spiky-headed newcomer scratched the back of his head again and nodded. "Well, yeah. In our own dimension,  
she's usually considerate, even if she is the best fighter in Tokyo. But, I guess something's happened to her  
to make her so defensive. What did happen before I got here, huh?"  
  
Soon after, the senshi and pilots explained what had happened. How they met, traveled to the Gundam era,   
the party, and the organizations that they were fighting and were a part of, etc. It took about two hours  
to finish explaining everything, and when they finished it was about nine-thirty in the evening.  
  
Ibaren's eyes widened. "Wow, that's something. But I still don't see how those assassination attempts and  
stuff could cause Kuro-chan to act this way. You're saying she acts monotone all the time, right?"  
  
Everyone nodded.   
  
"Huh. Well, maybe she's overwhelmed by something." He contemplated.  
  
Nova snapped her fingers. "I know what it is!" Everyone turned their attention to Dederi's partner.  
  
"What is it?" Makoto asked.  
  
"Yeah, what?" Rei wondered. [I'm curious to know why she's always acting so much like a jerk.]  
  
Nova sweatdropped. "Can't tell. Hehe.."  
  
  
*FACEFAULTING ENSUES*  
  
  
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T TELL US!?!?" Everyone could definitely tell Rei was as mad as a lion was  
when provoked.  
  
"Can't. G'night." Nova, with nervous sweat on her face, sped up the stairs before Rei and the others could  
track her down.  
  
Ibaren sighed. He had a _small_ hunch to what Dederi was all defensive about. "Must be something about her  
human emotions." Suddenly dematterialized in a flash of dark blue, and rematterialized on the top of the  
stairs. He walked to his room, opened the well-finished oak door, and walked in.  
  
Duo fell over in his seat. "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!! What the friggin' hell was that?!?!?"  
  
"He can disappear and reappear in several places." Setsuna concluded. "His ability must be similar to   
our Sailor Teleport."   
  
Michiru smiled. "Dederi has very weird friends."  
  
"HEY! I heard that!" Nova retorted.  
  
Duo laughed and pointed to Nova's forehead. "I can see a vein in your head! HAHA!"  
  
[Grr...] "Duo...."  
  
"Eep!" He backed down at Nova's menacing glare. "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!"  
  
Everyone went back into their musings.  
  
======  
  
AN: OoOo...I'M HIT WITH INSPIRATION!!!! Look for the next chapter!!!! Anyway, didja like this chapter?  
  
Email: ketsekiburade@hotmail.com 


	7. Early Morning (Getting to Know You)

Lunar Succession  
  
Author: ~Heartless Spirit~  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own SM or GW. I DO own Dederi, so no stealin'!  
  
AN: HEY PPL! THIS CHAPTER IS VERY HUMOROUS (well, to me anyway..something happens to Wufei that's hilarious)  
OoH! I love this chapter already! [sees weird stares coming from readers] uh...heheh...heh...neva you mind! Read  
already!  
  
======  
Lunar Succession  
======  
Chapter 7-Early Morning (Getting to Know You)  
======  
  
Trowa opened his eyes as the morning rays of the sun shined through the silk white curtains of the balcony windows.  
He yawned and looked at the alarm clock on his end table to the left of him. "6:30." He smoothed his long brown hair  
out of his right eye and his hair went back into place, like it usually does. The Latin pilot pulled the warm blanket  
off the rest of his body and put on his white muscle tee (AN: No, baka hentais, he had pants on.:P). [Wonder why I'm  
up so early. Oh well, might as well get my breakfast. The others probably won't be up for a few more hours.] Trowa  
decided as he opened his bedroom door quietly. After he closed the door, he walked down the main stairs leading to  
the foyer/living room, then turned to the left and entered the kitchen, pushing the white lattice doors open slowly.  
He was suprised to hear a soft humming noise. A small laugh escaped his lips as he watched Dederi cooking while  
she was in black flannel pants and an extremely large blue t-shirt that went down to her upper thighs. "Good morning."  
He said.  
  
Dederi was preparing breakfast for everyone in the kitchen. She had woken up at six o'clock and hadn't been able  
to get to sleep, so she decided to cook and give the chefs and maids a break. Dederi didn't know why she was being so  
considerate again, like she had in her original dimension. Maybe it was because her human emotions were getting the  
better of her. She didn't know. Could she be becoming more human? Of course, there WAS also that 'weakness' that  
Dederi had when she had first come to the Gundam era.   
  
Dederi snapped out of her daze as she heard someone say, "Good morning." She turned around and put on her usual scowl.  
"Don't sneak up on me like that, Barton!"  
  
"Why, did the rival of the 'Perfect Soldier' get scared?" Trowa teased as he pulled up a seat on the polished mahogany  
counter.  
  
"Very funny, unibang." She retorted, cutting up a few tomatoes for her salad, which currently laid in a crystal bowl  
to the left of her.  
  
Trowa chuckled. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen or hear you name call anyone before."  
  
Dederi grinned. "That's because I'm more irritable in the morning, Barton." She put the sliced tomatoes into the  
salad. "What are you doing up so early in the morning anyway?" She opened the pantry and took out a series of  
salad dressings.  
  
"I could ask you the same thing."  
  
"You first."  
  
Trowa sighed. "I woke up early for no reason. I just couldn't get back to sleep." He looked at the overhead  
lamps above the center counter and the hanging pots and copper pans and utensils.  
  
"Same reason." Dederi smiled.  
  
"Look, you smiled." Trowa pointed out.  
  
Dederi chuckled. [Why the hell do I feel so giddy? I'm acting like Venus.] "You know, I never thought I'd  
smile so early in the morning. Usually I become so much like a jerk it affects the rest of the day." Dederi  
began to crack the eggs she had laid out on a tray and into a blender, adding milk and some other ingredients.  
Trowa guessed she was going to make pancakes. The Latin teen noticed that Dederi had now begun to continually  
smile as she cooked.   
  
"You look nicer when you smile." Trowa complimented.  
  
Dederi stopped cooking suddenly and turned to Trowa with a suprised expression on her pale face, although it  
didn't stay pale for long. Trowa laughed heartily as he watched Dederi's face turn into a tomato. Dederi  
tried to keep the blood from rushing to her cheeks, but then she realized she couldn't do that!  
  
"Uh, t-thanks. No one's ever said that to me before." She laughed nervously.  
  
Trowa, although he couldn't believe he was going to do this, went over and wrapped his arms around Dederi, her  
back facing him. "I'm suprised." Dederi wasn't a tomato anymore. As a matter of fact, she looked like she  
was going to die from blushing.  
  
"What are you doing?" Dederi tried not to lose her consciousness.  
  
"This." Trowa turned her around and softly put his lips to hers.   
  
Dederi's eyes widened in suprise. [...] She tried not to faint, although her eyes slowly closed. Dederi   
suprisedly found herself kissing back. After a few more minutes, they reluctantly drew back and breathed  
heavily. All Dederi found herself saying was, "Wow."  
  
Trowa smiled. "Yeah."  
  
Dederi smiled back, then put her arms around his neck and kissed him again. Trowa had his arms around her waist  
tightly and kissed her more passionately than last time. A small moan escaped Dederi's lips.   
  
Soon after, their lips parted, once again breathing heavily. Both were blushing furiously. Dederi broke the  
uncomfortable silence. "So, uh, do you want to help me finish making breakfast?"  
Trowa panted and nodded at the same time, then both set about making fresh orange juice, pancakes, and french  
toast. Both occassionally glanced at each other and smiled, content with each other's company.  
  
When it was about 8:30AM, Dederi heard indistinct chatter outside the wooden lattice doors which led to the  
foyer/living room. Dederi laughed. "Trowa-kun, they're awake. And from the sounds of it, they all are."  
Trowa chuckled. He seemed to be now very comfortable with Dederi's musings. Dederi gathered the last two  
plates of food, one had french toast and the other had waffles. "I'll just set these down in the dining  
room. The salad and pancakes are there already, right?"  
  
Trowa nodded and kissed her on the cheek before picking up the pitcher of orange juice that he had just made.  
"Should we keep this to ourselves for now, Dede-chan?"  
  
Dederi nodded. "If you want. Besides, wouldn't it just be hilarious if we saw their faces?"  
  
Trowa laughed. "Good point. Alright, let's keep it to just the two of us for now."  
  
They kissed one more time and walked out the doors into the dining room.  
  
"Wow! Look, Q-man! Did your cooks do this?" Duo's eyes bulged out of his head when he saw all of the food.  
  
"No. My cooks don't begin until 9AM, Duo. I wonder who did this.." Quatre was baffled.  
  
The senshi and pilots heard a laugh. "Actually, it was us, Duo." Trowa set the orange juice near the  
glass cups and Dederi placed the waffles and french toast near the pancakes. "Like what you see?"  
Dederi and Trowa noticed that the senshi and the pilots were all still in their pajamas, as they were.  
  
"Oh, YEAH!" Duo exclaimed, sitting down and began to toss everything onto his plate. Everyone laughed and sat  
down, marveling all of the food that was created.  
  
Dederi grinned. "I'll be right back, I forgot the salad dressing." The raven-haired assassin disappeared   
through the kitchen doors.  
  
"Hey, Tro-man, I have a question for ya." Duo stated between forkfuls of pancake.  
  
Trowa poured orange juice into his glass. "What is it?"  
  
"Why were ya in the kitchen with Dede-chan at 6:30 in the morning?" Duo asked, globs of excess pancake spewing  
from his mouth, causing the girls to stick out their tongues in disgust.  
  
Trowa slightly blushed (he couldn't help it, a'ight?). "Well, I couldn't sleep, so I went to the kitchen to fix  
myself breakfast when I saw Dederi in the kitchen making all of ours. So-"  
  
"So, he decided to help me cook breakfast." Dederi finished for him. "Here's the salad dressing."  
  
Makoto put a slice of waffle into her mouth. After chewing it for a bit, she concluded, "Hey, this is good! Dederi-kun,   
where'd you learn to cook like this?"  
  
"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that all Romeclyst assassins and agents must learn to cook for international missions,  
in case we're assigned to houses." Nova smiled as she put syrup onto her waffles. "Weird, huh?"  
  
"This is as good as Mako-chan's cooking!" Ami exclaimed.  
  
Dederi sat down across from Trowa. She gave way to a small smile, though no one noticed but Trowa. He smiled back.  
  
"Kuro-chan, I haven't eaten great food like this since before you left!" Ibaren grinned, which made Dederi chuckle  
proudly.  
  
After breakfast, the maids took the empty plates away, murmuring their thanks to Dederi and Trowa for setting and  
cooking. The sight of the full bellies of the senshi and pilots showed that they were thankful too.  
  
"Man, I loved that breakfast!" Minako sighed in content. "Hey, could you guys cook for lunch, too?"  
  
Dederi grinned. "All right, but if you eat as much as you did at breakfast, you'll turn up to be as fat as an  
elephant." Everyone laughed except Minako, who blushed furiously.  
  
As Dederi left the room, Nova murmured to Duo, "You know, she's acting more cheery. Wonder why that is."  
  
Ibaren walked out the door. [She found something to warm her cold and unfeeling heart.]  
  
Heero stalked off towards the training room. He needed to think.  
  
"I'm going to go swimming. Anyone care to join me?" Michiru smiled.  
  
"Me!" Makoto, Ami, Rei, Duo, Nova, Quatre, Minako, Hotaru, and Haruka chorused.  
  
Wufei grunted. "No way." He trudged to the courtyard to meditate.  
  
Setsuna laughed. "Not me, I'll be in the library. I'm fascinated as to what happened in the past of this dimension."  
  
Dederi sat in the living room, or rather, lying on a couch in the living room, when Trowa walked in. "Hey."  
"Hey." Trowa replied, leaning over Dederi. "Could you teach me how you did those energy blasts?"  
"What?" Dederi sat up.   
"You know, those red and black energy blasts that you did to eliminate the rest of the soldiers last night."  
"Oh, those." Dederi remembered. "Yeah, sure. C'mon." She stood up. "Oh, wait. I think we should change into  
casual clothing first." She laughed.  
Trowa nodded and walked up the stairs with Dederi. "I'll meet you in the courtyard near the outdoor swimming  
pool, okay, Dede-chan?"  
Dederi nodded.  
  
"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Duo screamed as he cannon-balled into the large pool. "Yeah! Woo! Come on in, babes, the  
water's fine!" He wore black swimming trunks.  
Minako and Quatre jumped in. Minako yelled,"Aah! C-cold!"   
"It's not that bad, Minako." Quatre said.  
"Easy for you to say, Qua-chan!" Minako retorted.  
Minako wore a orange strapless swimsuit with a yellow bow on the chest-part and Quatre wore orange and blue swim trunks.  
Makoto wore a dark green and powder pink bikini, Ami wore a simple sea blue one-piece that glittered when she was in the  
water, Rei wore a strapless red swimsuit with a phoenix design in gold on the front, Hotaru wore a black one-piece with  
purple frills on the arms, Haruka had a navy blue one piece with a transparent white overshirt (she didn't want to swim,  
just to get a tan), Michiru wore a aquamarine two piece with glitter as the outline and her hair was up in a yellow  
bow, and Nova wore a black and yellow bikini with her hair down. Altogether, they seemed very movie star-ish.  
  
Michiru swan-dived in, splashing Haruka in the process. Haruka growled at her girlfriend. "Hey, Michi-chan! What'd you  
do that for?!"  
  
Nova walked over to the diving board, looking at the cool, clean chlorine-filled water. It seemed so calm until she  
realized that Duo had gotten out of the pool and was about to push her in! "Duo, you wouldn't!"  
  
"I could!"  
  
"You couldn't!"  
  
Duo pushed her off the diving board and into the pool. He laughed as she rose from the water, soaked and shaking her  
fist. Duo snickered. "I did!"  
  
"Duo!" Nova screamed as she pulled his feet in. "You baka!"  
  
As chaos ensued...  
  
A certain large-banged latin teenager waited patiently underneath the newly-blossomed cherry blossom tree for Dederi.  
He was wearing his usual black turtleneck shirt and jeans, the same impassive look on his face as he put his hands  
in his pockets.  
  
"Hey." Dederi said as she walked up to him. She wore a thick-strapped red tank top and black jeans with dark brown  
low-cut boots. She also wore black finger-less gloves and dangling earrings that resembled black tears. She had her  
hair up in a high ponytail with two strands of hair dangling at the sides of her face, tied by a black rubber band.   
To Trowa, she looked absolutely stunning. Actually, if you looked at her from far away, you wouldn't've recognized  
her.  
  
Trowa grinned. "You look nice." She blushed and kissed him on the cheek. Unbeknownst to them, Wufei was meditating in  
the courtyard as well. He had opened his eyes to take a break and gasped when he saw a girl with a long ponytail  
kiss Trowa. He got up and walked over. "Hey Barton. Who's the onna?"  
  
Dederi broke off the kiss when he heard Wufei's voice. Trowa looked up. "So much for keeping it to ourselves."  
  
"Trowa, who's the onna?" Wufei repeated, not taking his eyes off her.  
  
Trowa and Dederi laughed. Trowa tried not to, but to no avail. "Y-you don't recognize her, Wufei?" He laughed.  
"Yeah, I've never seen her before. For an onna, she seems strong, and rather pretty." Wufei admitted, causing the  
'unknown onna' to blush. Trowa continued to laugh. "Well, since you don't recognize her, I'll introduce you again.  
Wufei, meet Dederi." He laughed louder.  
Wufei froze instantly. "That onna is DEDERI?!?!"  
"Hai." Dederi managed to answer between laughs. "Man, I can't breathe!"  
"That ONNA is DEDERI!?!?"  
Dederi stopped laughing. "What? I don't look THAT different."  
"You do too!" Wufei retorted. "How was I supposed to know you changed your appearance?!"  
Trowa laughed. "Not to mention her personality's rather changed."  
Dederi wasn't amused. "Haha. Very funny. Do you want to learn how to manage ki blasts or not, Barton?"  
"Yeah."  
"So stop it and we can start."  
Wufei crossed his arms. "Ki blasts?"  
"Yes, ki blasts. Remember Relena's ballroom?" Dederi informed sitting down next to Trowa under the cherry blossom tree.  
[Trowa's going to learn that?!] "Could you teach me too?"  
Dederi snickered. "Oh, is the great Wufei Chang willing to be taught by a weak onna?" Dederi and Trowa laughed.  
"I won't call you that anymore if you teach me." Wufei proposed.  
"Deal. Sit down." Dederi pointed to the spot next to Trowa and her. (AN: They're sitting in a triangle under the tree)  
  
"Now, this isn't easy. It'll take a few hours, maybe days. So have a lot of patience." Dederi began to sound like Setsuna.  
"I want you to clear your mind of all disturbances and distractions. Become calm. Serene.  
  
"Now, search in yourself. Something that calms you, some fire, for example." Dederi said as she watched the two pilots  
with their eyes closed. "Something warm. To better put it, search for your essence, or soul, as others put it."  
  
"I feel it. It's warm." Wufei answered, opening his eyes. "It's like a white flame..Pure but unsettled.."  
  
"Good. Each person has an essence, or soul, and that essence has a visible form. Such as fire, or light. Mine  
is different from all others, I'm afraid, but that can't be helped. What does yours look or feel like, Trowa?"  
  
"It feels warm and comforting..it's so quiet..." Trowa opened his eyes. "It almost looks like an orb. It was dark  
green with a shade of black in the center..."  
  
Dederi smiled, which Wufei was suprised at. She explained, "Wufei, your soul represents purity and strength. Although,  
your outer personality is the exact opposite." She sneered. "And Trowa," she smiled kindly, "Yours represents  
silence and mystery, as well as properity and kindness. Now, do you still have your essences in reach?"  
  
Both nodded.  
  
"Now, feel around its warmth and slowly and steady pull it out onto the tips of your fingers, like this." Dederi put out  
her hand and it began to glow a black and bloody red. It took form like an orb, the black on the outside of it with a  
crimson center.  
  
Trowa and Wufei nodded. Trowa closed his eyes, feeling the warmth within his body. He once again found that dark green  
orb and grasped it with his mind. With his eyes remaining closed, he pulled it out onto its visible form. It took form  
as a glowing ki sphere on the palm of his hand, and had a dark green outer shell with a mysterious black center. He opened  
his eyes. "Whoa. I did it."  
  
Dederi grinned. "Wufei, you try."  
  
Wufei nodded nervously and closed his eyes, feeling also for that warmth. He felt for it, and finally found that white  
flame and slowly pulled it out of his body and onto his hands. He put his hands together and a white light formed from them.  
When he opened his eyes and hands, he found himself holding a floating white ki sphere. "It..it changed."  
  
Dederi chuckled. "Yes. You see, Trowa and Wufei, within your body, your essence is in its original and free state. But  
outside your body, where you can control it, it forms into visible energy. If you wish, you could put it into it's  
original state, but you wouldn't be able to control it as well as you would as a sphere or blast. Do you understand?"  
  
"I think so." Wufei nodded.   
  
Dederi got up. "Now, try to blast me."  
  
"W-what?! Both students exclaimed.  
  
She walked three feet away from them and turned around, looking at them with her arms in a cross position. "You have  
learned to bring them out, now hit me with ki blasts, if you can. But for now, try to continuously throw ki spheres  
at me. All you need to do is throw the spheres you have now, then bring them out from your body faster." She looked on.  
"Well? You want to practice or not?"  
  
"But we could hurt you, Dederi-kun." Trowa's eyes filled with concern.  
  
"Oh, don't worry about that. You're too inexperienced still to throw me back, let alone bruise. Try your best."  
  
"Alright, I guess." Wufei held out his other hand and slowly brought out another white ki sphere. The Chinese pilot  
threw his first ki sphere at the girl. Dederi yawned as the sphere hit her dark red shield, which matterialized  
when the sphere went into contact with it.   
  
"Come on, you can do better than that."  
  
[So that shield will protect her even if we attack.] Trowa stared. [Well, I might as well do as she says.] He  
threw a green ki sphere at her. The shield deflected it.  
  
"Good, Trowa, but you can do better." She raised her right gloved hand in the air and a black and red ki sphere  
matterialized. "Now you both know how to throw your spheres. How about this. I won't use my shield, but I'll through  
my own spheres and ki blasts to deflect them, instead. If both of you can go past my defenses and hit me with  
your attacks, I'll teach you how to use your essence as a shield. Deal?"  
  
"Deal." Both nodded. Then they began to throw numerous spheres at her.  
  
"You learn fast." Dederi smirked as she ki blasted four ki spheres into oblivion. "But throw quicker. Produce the  
energy spheres quicker!" She threw a sphere at another of Wufei's white ones.  
  
Trowa put out his left hand and drew out a green and black sphere. [Maybe I can make it larger..] He narrowed  
his eyes and concentrated as Wufei kept throwing his attacks, which Dederi effortlessly rendevoed with her own  
blasts and spheres. Trowa's ki sphere grew to the size of his head, and he hurled it like he would in dodgeball.  
Dederi turned to his sphere right before it hit her. She drew back, panting. "You learn well, Barton. All right,  
Wufei, all you have to do now is hit me." [I didn't expect him to learn that form of attack yet. How smart.]  
  
Wufei smirked at her simple statement. [Alright.] He drew out his ki into a large blindingly white sphere, then  
hurled it to her like a fast ball. "Think fast!"  
  
Dederi sighed and prepared to blow it up with her own ki blast. To her suprise, though, Wufei threw his hand  
up, and the ki sphere was following his hand's movements! "Yaah!" Wufei yelled and threw his hand down, causing the  
sphere to speed down and onto Dederi. There was an explosion as the sphere hit Dederi, a cloud of white mist.  
  
When the mist parted, the two teenage pilots found Dederi chuckling in the center of the mist. "Good, you two. Very  
good." She clapped her hands together, congratulating her two 'students'. "You two learned well. Now, as promised,  
I'll teach you to use your essence as shields to deflect attacks." She went over to them, still clapping. When she  
stopped clapping she put her hands out in front of the pilots' faces. "Try and hit my hands." She was only one  
foot apart from the pilots. Wufei attempted to hit her hand with a punch, but was pushed back by a red shield covering  
Dederi's hands.  
  
Trowa attempted to punch Dederi's right hand, but couldn't even touch it.  
  
Wufei tried drop-kicking. Didn't work.   
  
Dederi laughed. "You use your essence as a shield simply by concentrating your energy around yourself. Or if you're   
against someone, concentrate on their attacks and use your essence to block. Is that simple enough?"  
  
Trowa and Wufei, a tad confused, nodded anyway.   
  
"Okay, you guys try."  
  
Trowa put his hand out in front of himself and concentrated. Dederi attempted to elbow his hand lightly and was slightly  
pushed back by a dark green shield. Then she attempted to kick Wufei in the stomach, and succeeded. Wufei fell to the  
ground, groaning in pain. She sighed. "You didn't concentrate hard enough, Wufei." She held out a hand. "Get up and I'll  
try to hit you again." He reluctantly pulled himself up with a groan.  
  
He closed his eyes and crossed his arms.  
  
This time, Dederi threw an uppercut at her Chinese student. Her attack was deflected by a white energy shield. "Good.  
See, that wasn't so bad."  
  
At this moment, Dederi noticed that Trowa and Wufei were panting. Heavily, I might add. "I forgot to tell you something.  
You need to save your energy. Beginners like you have just found their essence and controlled them, so be careful. But  
you must realize that all people who are able to control their essence need to use their energy wisely. Using all of your  
essence will make you tired and make you sick. When I first learned to control my energy with my other two friends, we  
used up all our energy fighting the enemy we all ended up in the hospital for a few days. And I don't want you two  
to become seriously ill. Understand?"  
  
Both nodded, still tired.  
  
Dederi continued her lecture. "But anyway, once you get used to your energy and have more control over it, you'll be  
able to use it more often." She then laughed. "Which means, Wufei, when Duo calls you Wu-man again, you'll be able to  
ki sphere him into traction someday."  
  
Wufei grinned. [That'll be fun.]  
  
"Actually, you can do that now, but only use small spheres and blasts since you just started, okay?"  
  
The Chinese pilot nodded.  
  
Trowa smirked at Wufei's grin. "Just don't put him into a coma, Wufei."  
  
All three laughed. Dederi had an idea. "Why don't I fix us some lunch? It's almost 12:30, anyway." She said as she looked  
at her watch. "We can eat the food here and have a picnic. After lunch we'll resume training."  
  
"Yeah, I'm in." Trowa smiled.  
  
"I'm starving." Wufei agreed.  
  
"All right, then. I'll be back in, say, twenty minutes? What do you guys want?"  
  
"I'll have whatever you have, Dederi-kun." the Latin pilot said, sitting down under the cherry blossom tree.  
  
"Same with me. I don't care."  
  
Dederi nodded and walked back through the white glass door, which led to Quatre's large mahogany-based kitchen.  
  
As Trowa leaned on the trunk of the cherry blossom tree and Wufei sitting cross-legged two feet away from him, Wufei  
remembered what he saw a few hours ago. "You and Dederi..never would have thought, Barton." He sneered.  
  
"How so?" Trowa put his hands behind his head as he leaned on the trunk.   
  
Wufei cracked his knuckles. "Well, it's just unexpected. I didn't think you'd be one to fall for an onna."  
  
Trowa smiled. "Well, I did. Don't tell anyone. No one was supposed to find out." Then he laughed. "Your suprised  
expression was priceless."  
  
Wufei's face turned red. "Well how the hell was I supposed to know she changed her look, Barton!?"  
  
"Well, I must admit, I didn't recognize her at first."  
  
"See my point?" Wufei sneered.  
  
"Just don't tell anyone, all right?"  
  
"What's in it for me?" He grinned mischeviously.  
  
Trowa sweatdropped. "Oh, so now you're blackmailing me?"  
  
"What's he blackmailing you for?" Dederi said as she closed the lattice door, carrying a basket full of food.  
"I heard you talking. Wufei, I swear, you're loud enough to hear a mile away."  
  
"He's blackmailing me because he could tell everyone about us." Trowa said simply.  
  
Dederi smirked. "Typical."  
  
"Well? What's in it for me?" Wufei repeated.  
  
Dederi grinned mischieviously. "If you don't tell, I won't kick your ass."  
  
"Like you could."  
  
"Oh?" She put down the basket next to Trowa. Her eyes shimmered evilly. Then she walked over to Wufei and picked him  
up by the collar. "Really? You think so?"  
  
Dederi dragged him over to the outdoor pool, where everyone was. She held him by his shirt over the shallow end of the pool.  
"Do you still think so?"  
  
Duo and Nova looked at the shallow side. "Hey, Dede-chan, whatcha doin' to Wu-man?"  
  
"You'll see, braided-baka." She turned her attention back to Wufei, who began to sweat. "Now, you sure you don't want to  
reconsider?"  
  
Rei began to laugh. "HAHAHA! Dump him in! Dump him in!" She cheered on.  
  
Minako looked at Dederi. "Hey, nice look!"  
  
Rei sweatdropped. "What does that have to do with anything?"  
  
Minako laughed. "Heheh.."  
  
Dederi grinned. "You know what the worst thing I could do to you right now?"  
  
"W-what?"  
  
"I could pay Maxwell to kiss you."  
  
Wufei glared. "You wouldn't dare!"  
  
"Hey, Maxwell! I'll pay you-"  
  
"Alright! Alright! I won't tell! Just don't tell him to kiss me!" Wufei pleaded.  
  
Dederi laughed. "I know you'd see it our way."  
  
Duo was confused. "What isn't he supposed to say?"  
  
"Nothing." Wufei answered, not wanting to get kissed by the braided kisama.   
  
"And who's 'our'?" Nova wondered getting out of the pool.  
  
"No one." Wufei and Dederi scowled. "Come on, Chang. The food's getting cold." With that, the two scowling martial  
artists turned the corner and left in the direction of the courtyard.  
  
"FOOD?!?" Duo perked up.  
  
"What was that all about?" Haruka asked, lifting her sunglasses from her eyes.  
  
Minako got an idea. "I'm gonna find out! Come on!"  
  
======  
AN: WHOOOOWEEEE!!!! THAT WAS FUN!!! I love this chapter. ^_^  
  
If I get enough reviews, I WILL COME UP WITH THE NEXT CHAPTER BY TOMMOROW! I'm starting it right after I post it..  
Which is in five minutes! AM I RAMBLING CUZ I DONT CARE!!!! IDEAS ARE FLOODING INTO MY HEAD LIKE...A FLOOD!!!   
MUA~HA~HA~HA~HA!!!!  
  
Email: ketsekiburade@hotmail.com 


	8. On My Doorstep

Lunar Succession  
  
Author: ~Heartless Spirit~  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own SM or GW. I DO own Dederi, so no stealin'! AND IBAREN!!!  
  
AN: HEY PPL! I was wondering if you liked ch.7. Was it good? Huh? Huh?  
  
======  
Lunar Succession  
======  
Chapter 8-On My Doorstep  
======  
  
Minako, followed by Rei, Makoto, Duo, Michiru, Haruka. Ami, and Quatre, peeked around the corner of the adobe-colored  
outer wall of Quatre's mansion, trying to see what Dederi and Wufei were doing. They were suprised that Trowa was  
there also.   
  
"Hey, what're those three doing over there?" Makoto asked herself.  
  
"Judging from that large basket, I say they're having a picnic." Ami concluded.  
  
"FOOD!!" Duo lunged out, but was caught by the hem of his pants by Nova.  
  
"Hold on, baka. We want to see what they're doing." She said, knocking him in the head with her fist.  
  
Duo whimpered.  
  
"NO."  
  
"Awww..." the braided pilot sulked as he gave in to watching the three.  
  
"Shut up, I can't hear what they're saying." Rei barked.  
  
"We shouldn't be doing this..." Quatre motioned, although intrigued as to what the two pilots and the assassin were doing.  
  
Trowa laughed as Dederi and Wufei sat down next to him, seeing Wufei's sweating face. "What'd you do?"  
  
Dederi opened the basket and pulled out the plates and spoons. "I threatened him by holding him over the pool."  
  
"And THAT made him keep it a secret?" Trowa was suprised.  
  
"I said I would pay Maxwell to kiss him if he told." Dederi smirked.  
  
Trowa's eyes widened. "And did he?"  
  
"No, you should have seen it." Dederi sneered, taking out the large plastic box that held the spaghetti. "Wufei Chang  
pleaded for mercy. It was priceless."   
  
Trowa laughed. Wufei glared (It was almost as scary as Heero's glare...O_o).  
  
"Anyway, with that aside, which one of you wants spaghetti?" She held out the serving spoon and fork in one hand, the  
plastic box in the other. Trowa took them and began to take his share of spaghetti.  
  
Wufei looked in the basket and took out a box. He opened it and found a large square of lasagna(sp?). "You've outdone  
yourself."  
  
"Oh, it's nothing. I like to cook, that's all." Dederi smiled. "For dessert I made double-decker chocolate cake.  
Is that alright?" Both pilots nodded eagerly.  
  
Duo overheard what the dessert was and began to drool. "D-double-decker chocolate cake..."  
  
"Eww, Duo! Stop drooling on me!" Nova pushed his head away from her hair.   
  
Wufei cut out a piece of lasagna and put it on his plate. "What are we going to learn after lunch?"  
  
Dederi chewed a chunk of lasagna and swallowed. "Ki blasts, I think. We already learned ki spheres and shields, so  
after ki BLASTS, that's pretty much it. You know, you pilots learned much quicker than I expected. Usually it would  
take a few weeks."  
  
"We're capable of anything, onna." Wufei retorted.  
  
Dederi chuckled. [I guess that's true.]  
  
After lunch, the assassin packed the extra food and dirty plates and utensils into the wicker basket and placed it  
behind the tree while Wufei and Trowa practiced attacks on each other. They were getting pretty good, but still  
had a little bit more to go.  
  
Dederi stood in the middle of Trowa and Wufei, making them immediately stop. "You're doing well. Now, you're going to  
learn how to do beams." (Blasts and beams are the same thing. ^^;;)  
  
She motioned for them to stand near the tree and face her. They did so. When they were ready, she began her lesson.  
"First, you gather the energy from your essence and put your hand out." She then put her left pale hand out in front  
of her, aiming at a rose shrub. "If you are aiming at something, you aim and push out that built up energy onto your  
target. You do not just push once and forget about it, but you have to continuously push out and gather energy  
at the same time. Understand?" Wufei and Trowa nodded in understanding. "I'll demonstrate." She kept her hand out  
and out of her hand shot a beam of black and blood red. She aimed her beam towards two rose bushes and continuously  
shot her beam, not stopping for a breath. When both bushes had been burned, she stopped the beam.  
  
"Now you try."  
  
As Dederi's gakseis (students) took turns frying the shrubs with ki beams, the other senshi and two pilots watched in  
awe as they did.  
  
"How can Dederi emitt attacks and energy like that? She didn't even henshin!" Ami gasped.  
Rei shook her head, not knowing the answer. "This is very strange..."  
"Look! Wufei and Trowa are doin' it too!" Duo's eyes bulged out from their usual places.  
"Could Dederi be teaching them how to emitt those beams?" Quatre questioned.  
  
"I didn't know people could emitt spiritual waves.." Michiru said to Haruka. Her girlfriend shook her head.  
"Neither did I. Although, Kiohime-kun could teleport from some sort of blue light. How is that, or this, possible?"  
  
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm terrified." Duo shivered. "Wufei could try that beam stuff at me!"  
  
Dederi clapped at her two gakseis. "I'm very proud of you two. Very proud."  
  
Wufei looked at the six burned shrubs that he, Dederi, and Trowa had made. "It wasn't as hard as I imagined it would be."  
  
"Oh, it will get harder. MUCH harder." Dederi said, walking over to the cherry blossom tree to pick up the wicker picnic  
basket. "But that will be all for today." She looked over to the corner where the senshi and two pilots hid. "You can come  
out now, the lesson is over. No, Duo, Wufei won't try the beam or spheres on you." Then she smirked. [Yet.]  
  
As Dederi walked through the kitchen doors, Trowa and Wufei followed.  
  
A few hours later, everyone (I do mean EVERYONE) was in the living room, either watching 'Mission Impossible:2' on the  
big screen television, talking, or on their laptops on the round coffee table by the window. Duo was staying as far away  
from Wufei as he could, not wanting to get blasted.  
  
Dederi saw this. "Maxwell, calm down. Wufei will not use his ki on you today, anyway. He's too drained from today's  
lesson."  
  
"How WERE you able to emitt those rays without transforming?" Michiru asked, taking a sip of her coffee that Quatre had  
made.  
  
"I'll tell you when I trust you." She sneered. "Technically, anyone can do it, though. You just need to practice."  
  
"So, you're saying," Rei growled, putting down the remote,"That you trust the chauvinistic pig more than us?!"  
  
"Who are you calling a chauvinistic pig, onna?!" Wufei snapped.  
  
Dederi pushed Wufei's shoulder to make him sit back down onto the seat. "Actually, I trust all of the pilots more than  
you, Mars. Especially you. I feel it is hard to trust those who do not have blood on their hands." She paused, but then  
knew that they did have blood on their hands, but blood of their supernatural enemies only. "I mean innocents' blood."  
  
"Why would you trust murderers more than the innocent?" Ami asked softly.  
  
Ibaren cut in to prevent Dederi from saying anything further. "What Kuro-chan means, is, she feels that the pilots are  
in a way, the same as her. Right?" Dederi smirked and nodded. She knew that none of the senshi, inner senshi anyway, knew  
how she would feel.  
  
Duo Maxwell smiled sadly and turned to the other senshi. "Maybe what she means is, we've all been through something similar.  
Seeing wars, unwanted deaths, stuff that some of you haven't seen."  
  
Makoto nodded. "Dederi, we've all seen deaths, human or not."  
  
Dederi smirked. "You've seen more supernatural than human."  
  
Quatre wasn't liking this topic, not that anyone did. It reminded him of the death of his father during that space incident  
with the resource satellites, along with how much deaths the ZERO system could cause. "Listen, I don't really think this  
is a good idea, talking about the past."  
  
Minako agreed. "This topic's too gloomy for my taste anyway."  
  
Duo snapped out of his sadness. "Hey, let's go dancin'. That'll take our troubles away from our minds!"  
  
"Yeah! I'm in!" Minako yelled.  
  
"Good idea." Quatre agreed. Soon, everyone, save Dederi, agreed. Heero was forced to go because of Duo. Duo was threatening  
to call him Hee-man for the rest of his life if he didn't.   
  
"I'm not going. I can't dance, and I hate crowded places." Dederi grinned, getting up from her seat and into the kitchen.  
  
"Joykiller." Duo sighed. "Oh well, lessee.." He looked at the amethyst clock on the far wall. "It's five-thirty right  
now, so what's say we meet here at six-thirty and we'll go to one o' the clubs downtown!"  
  
Trowa began to change his mind. "Actually, I'm not gonna go. I have something to take care of." He turned and left for  
his room.  
  
Duo sweatdropped. "Man, anyone else gonna change their minds?"  
  
Wufei and Heero raised their hands, not wanting to dance.  
  
"Jeez, Wu-man you ruin everything." Wufei grumbled with Duo's statement and walked upstairs to his room.  
  
"Hee-man, you're already stuck. Can't leave." Duo waved his forefinger in a 'no' gesture.  
  
Heero glared and went to his room to change.  
  
~One hour later~  
  
"C'mon Mako-chan! Everyone else is waiting!" Minako yelled from the foot of the well-finished main stairs.  
Makoto ran down the stairs. "Sorry. Anyway, I'm here. Is everyone else here?"  
  
QUatre nodded, opening the door for everyone. "Ready?"  
  
The girls nodded and walked out, giggling.  
  
Nova and Duo walked out together, their hands intertwined.  
  
Heero scowled and walked out. He was going to make sure he got even with Duo.  
  
Quatre chuckled and waved to Trowa, who sat in the living room with his laptop. Trowa waved back as Quatre closed  
the door with a 'click'. After they left, Trowa turned off his laptop and walked into the kitchen where Dederi  
was drinking a batch of Wufei's strong Chinese black tea. Wufei was making his own share when Trowa entered.  
  
Dederi coughed. "This batch is *cough* strong. What'd you put in this?"  
  
Trowa chuckled quietly as Dederi scowled, continuing to drink the tea.  
  
"Ginger, herbs, the usual Chinese ingredients.." Wufei sat down across from Dederi, sipping his tea.  
  
Dederi gagged. "Ginger?"  
  
"Yeah, so?"  
  
"So that's how you made it so strong." Dederi stuck her tongue out.  
  
Trowa smiled and kissed Dederi on the lips. Wufei made a noise of disgust.  
  
"You know, if you're going to be doing that every time no one's around I'm going to kill myself. Blech." Wufei walked out  
of the mahogany kitchen, taking his tea with him.  
  
Trowa and Dederi burst out laughing.  
  
Dederi stopped laughing first and took another sip of the black tea. "You know, once you get used to it, it's not half  
bad." She said, putting the mug down.  
  
The Latin pilot smiled and kissed her again. Their arms circled each other and Trowa softly stroked Dederi's hair.  
He took out the band that held her ponytail in place, letting her raven tresses tumble down and onto her shoulders.  
Dederi kissed more passionately in return. (AN: GAH! they're making out..P)  
  
As Trowa began to kiss Dederi's neck, she released a soft moan. Dederi kissed his cheek softly, massaging as back in the  
process...  
  
Suddenly, Dederi heard the doorbell ring. "We better go get that, Trowa-chan.." Trowa grumbled and let go.  
She chuckled. "Oh, it's not that bad." Dederi got up and walked through the kitchen doors. Trowa grinned, put his shirt  
back on (AN: O_o;) , and walked to the coffee machine to make his own coffee.  
  
Dederi looked out the window. Rain drops had covered the glass. [I didn't know it started to rain.] She chuckled. [So much  
for Maxwell's date.] She opened the large oak door, the hinges creaking.  
  
Dederi kneeled down, smiling. "Komban wa. Something you need?"  
  
The small girl in front of Dederi was soaking wet, her pink hair drenched in water. She had large kawaii eyes, tinted red,  
and she wore a sailor-like blue and white outfit. "Hello, is Puu here?"  
  
Dederi blinked. "You mean Pluto?"  
  
The little girl smiled happily. "Yeah!"  
  
"Gomen, but she's out with the others."  
  
The girl's expression turned from a happy one to a sad one. Dederi took pity on her (AN: Dederi? pity?) and smiled warmly.  
"What's your name?"  
  
The pink-haired girl looked up. "Chibi-Usa."  
  
[Where have I heard that name before?] She wondered. Suddenly remembering that there was a little girl soaking wet  
in from of her, she wiped that from her mind. "Well, Chibi-Usa, why not come in and you can wait for her until she comes  
back?"  
  
Chibi-usa smiled again. "Okay!" Dederi put out her hand. Chibi-usa took it happily and Dederi walked inside, pulling the  
pink-haired girl with her.  
  
Dederi closed the oak door. "How do you know Pluto?"  
  
"She's sorta my guardian."  
  
"Your guardian?" Dederi wondered.  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
She decided not to ask any further questions about her relations with the guardian of time and decided to make her more  
comfortable. "Pluto won't be back for another few hours, so how about a nice cup of hot chocolate to warm you up?"  
  
"YAY!" Chibi-usa exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.  
  
Dederi chuckled. She put her hand on Chibi-usa's and led her into the kitchen. Chibi-usa pointed to a guy with a well-  
balanced tan and one bang that had a cup of Spanish coffee in his left hand. "Lady, who's that?"  
"That's Trowa Barton, Chibi-usa."   
Trowa looked up from the counter and looked at Dederi and the girl that she held hands with. He stared. "Who's she,   
Dede-chan?"  
"She's Chibi-usa, Trowa-chan. I found her on the doorsteps when I opened the door. She's waiting for the rest of the  
senshi, I think." Dederi lifted her up onto the wooden stool next to the center counter. "Just give me five minutes,  
okay, Chibi-usa?" The little girl nodded and looked around.  
"This is a pretty kitchen. Oh, I'm sorry, I never got your name.."  
Dederi smiled. "My name is Dederi." She began to melt chocolate in a saucepan.   
"Ah-choo!" Chibi-usa sneezed. "S'cuze me.."  
Trowa smiled. "I'll be back with a blanket." He kissed Dederi on the cheek before leaving the kitchen.  
  
Chibi-usa giggled.   
"What is it?" Dederi wondered why she was laughing when nothing funny had happened.  
"Are you guys married?" Chibi-usa laughed.  
Dederi stared, blushing like a tomato. "N-no!"  
"You're funny." She continued to laugh.  
The female assassin sweatdropped. "Please don't tell anyone about me and Trowa-chan. No one's supposed to know.."  
"Okay.." Chibi-usa smiled.  
  
Dederi put the melted chocolate into a small beige mug and added sugar and milk. She mixed it together as she talked  
to Chibi-usa. Dederi found that Chibi-usa also had a love for thrills, as she did. She added mini marshmellows into the  
mug. She just knew what to put for no reason. "Here's my special hot chocolate, made just for you, Chibi-usa. Hope you  
like it." Dederi handed the mug to her little guest. Chibi-usa sipped a bit of the chocolate.   
  
"Wow, this is great. Arigato, Dederi-san!"  
  
"Doo itashi mashite, Chibi-usa. Anytime you want chocolate, I'm around to make some."  
  
Trowa came in with a white futon. "Here." He draped it over Chibi-usa and, once again, kissed Dederi on the cheek.  
  
When Chibi-usa yawned sleepily, she began to nod off. Dederi chuckled. "You can sleep in my room until Pluto arrives,  
Chibi-usa."  
  
Chibi-usa nodded gratefully. "If you don't mind..*yawn*.." Trowa laughed and picked Chibi-usa up in his arms   
and he and Dederi went out the door of the kitchen and up the main stairs. Dederi opened her bedroom door and put Chibi-  
usa onto her bed, tucking her in slowly. Trowa sat at the foot of the bed and Dederi to Chibi-usa's side, sitting  
on the floor.  
  
[I feel so protective of Chibi-usa somehow..] Dederi thought to herself. In such a short time, Dederi felt that she  
had made a friend of the little girl. Trowa felt the same way, but since he had the type of personality to stay  
silent, refrained from saying anything.  
  
"Man, THAT was fun!" Duo yelled as he walked into the living room, Nova's hand still in his.  
  
"Hey, we should do that again!" Minako agreed, jumping around, causing everyone to sweatdrop.  
  
Ami looked around. "Where's Dederi and Trowa?"  
  
Everyone looked around. No one was around but them.  
  
"What if someone kidnapped them?!" Minako wailed, panicking.  
  
Nova shook her head in exasperation. "No way, Venus. Dederi's too strong to be suprised by a kidnapper, and Trowa's  
a pilot. He could have just shot the guy. Dederi would probably in the training room." Nova walked down the right  
corridor and opened the training room doors. They had been recently fixed (by who? no clue. @_@). She looked in,  
finding nothing but the usual training equipment. She walked back out. "She's not there."   
  
Ami was in the kitchen and Duo looked into Trowa's room. "Not here either." Was both of their replies.  
  
Duo yelled out, opening the door to Dederi's room. "DEDERI?!!" He found himself two millimeters away from the barrel  
of a black handgun.   
  
"Shut up, kisama. I'm right here."  
  
Duo hugged Dederi at her stomach, knocking her down onto the floor. "Man, we were worried!"  
  
She struggled. "Barton, if you want me to live, help me!" Her face turned purple. Duo was squeezing the air out of her  
with a bear hug.  
  
Trowa narrowed his eyes, amused. He went over and (actually) kicked Duo off Dederi, knocking him into the corridor wall.  
"You alright?"  
  
"Hai." Dederi picked herself up, glaring at Duo, who cowered in fear and ran downstairs. She laughed. "I owe you one."  
  
Before anyone else could come upstairs, he kissed her on the lips softly, then parted. "We're even." He chuckled.  
  
Wufei, once again disgusted, was leaning against the doorframe of the bedroom. "What did I say about making me sick?"  
He grinned. "Minako thought you'd been abducted."  
  
"Oh, really?" Dederi sighed, annoyed that she had to work with such a ditz.  
  
Wufei turned towards the stairway. "Look's like kisama-Maxwell's telling the others what happened." He smirked. "I still  
can't believe you kicked him off the onna." Wufei laughed.  
  
Trowa hugged Dederi from behind, holding her softly against his own body. "He was hurting Dede-chan."  
  
"He wasn't hurting me, just strangling me to death." She chuckled.  
  
~Downstairs~  
  
"You mean to tell me that TROWA kicked you. You must be joking." Quatre couldn't believe it.  
  
"I'm serious! And HARD too!" Duo was still rubbing his head with his hand. He had a LARGE bruise on the left of his  
forehead. Nova smiled.  
  
"C'mon, Duo. I'll clean and bandage that bruise for you." Nova motioned for Duo to follow her into the kitchen, since  
that was the only place she knew that contained gauzes and other medical supplies in case someone got burned by  
cooking.  
  
Duo smiled again. "Okay!" He winked at the other senshi and pilots before eagerly following the blond-highlighted  
assassin.  
  
~Upstairs (again?)~  
  
Wufei looked at the little girl on Dederi's bed, peacefully sleeping like an infant. "So who's the chibi-onna?"  
  
The Latin pilot released the raven-haired assassin from his comforting grasp. Dederi sat next to Chibi-usa,  
a warm smile on her face. "I found her looking for Pluto on the front doorsteps. By the way, could you get Pluto  
for me?"  
  
Wufei nodded and left without another word. Dederi wasn't suprised he didn't make any snide remarks, such as 'I'm not  
a messenger, onna' or something like that.  
  
======  
AN: How was that? Heheheh....my head's flowing with ideas. Oh, and sorry for repeatedly putting Dederi/Trowa  
moments in..I'm still having QUITE a few ideas for them. And yes, for Heero, I WILL PUT MAKOTO/HEERO, unless I get  
another objection to that. I can also change Dederi/Trowa if anyone wants them to be paired up with anyone else,  
but otherwise I'm going to continue doing that pairing. I promise I will put chapters up for the OTHER pairings.  
~_* I decided that I'm going to let you figure them out for yourselves, m'kay?  
  
Email: ketsekiburade@hotmail.com 


	9. Valkyrie

Lunar Succession  
  
Author: ~Heartless Spirit~  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own SM or GW. I DO own Dederi, so no stealin'! AND IBAREN TOO!!! NOVA BELONGS TO JESS-CHAN!!!  
(Youhko's my own character too, if you haven't realized that by now...)  
  
AN: Konnichiwa, minna! It's 11:23pm and I'm stocked on sugar! oh..11:24...  
Duo: I WANT SUGAR!!!  
HS: Okay, who let Maxwell in here?  
[Looks outside door and sees Nova running away]  
HS: [picks up large battle axe] Nova!!!!!!!!!!!  
Minako: hi hi, minna!  
HS: GET OUT OF MY ROOM, VENUSIAN BAKA!!!  
[pushes Minako and Duo out]  
HS: Dederi can stay. She's my bodyguard.  
Dederi: -_- What did I get myself into?  
  
======  
Lunar Succession  
======  
Chapter 9-Valkyrie  
======  
  
Nova cut a long strip of gauze tape with a pair of kitchen scissors. Duo, on the other hand, sat quietly, tapping  
his fingers on the center counter of the mahogany-based kitchen, the copper pots and pans dangling above him.  
He was also staring at Nova.  
  
"Okay, Duo. Hold still." The brunette-blond highlighted assassin warned, adding a numbing salve on the gauze to dull  
the pain of Trowa's kick. She carefully began to wrap the gauze around Duo's forehead. "Why'd he kick you, anyway? Well,  
besides the fact that you were suffocating my partner."  
  
"No clue. Ow! Careful, that's the only hair I've got!" Duo winced as Nova accidentally got the sticky part of the gauze  
stuck to his hair. She was attempting to yank the gauze off.  
"OW!"  
"Duo, it's not that bad. Hold still." She yanked again.  
"Ouch!" Duo, this time, toppled over his chair when Nova yanked for the third time, causing him to fall onto Nova's  
head first. He looked up and grinned. "I didn't know you wanted me that bad."  
Nova blushed and pushed him off her lap, yanking the gauze completely off his head in the process. She held the beginning  
of the tape up once more. "This time, hold still." She began to wrap his forehead up again, once again careful not to   
get the gauze stuck on another chunk of his chestnut brown hair. By the time she was done bandaging Duo up, Nova  
noticed that there was a lot of voices in the next room, talking and discussing about something that she couldn't quite  
hear, since the kitchen doors were closed. She had a hunch they were wondering why Trowa kicked her Duo..  
['Her' Duo?] Nova interrupted her own thoughts. [Where'd that come from?]  
"Hey, babe, what's wrong? You look kinda weird.." Duo looked at Nova with a worried expression.  
  
"Nothing." She retorted tartly.  
  
Duo put his arms around Nova, who began to blush again. "You sure it's not anything, Nova-chan?"  
  
"H-hai." Nova sweat nervously. Duo shrugged and let go of the assassin, letting go of the fact that he didn't believe  
what Nova said.  
  
"All right, if that's what you say.." He walked back into he living room. Nova sighed.  
  
[Why do the hell do I feel so...weird?] Sure, she had admitted that she liked Duo. A LOT, in fact. But she sure didn't  
understand him, that she admitted with certainty. Nova sighed again and walked out, following Duo.  
  
Wufei walked down the main stairs, one hand on the wooden banister and the other in his pocket. "Hey, onna, Dederi needs  
to speak to you." He directed his statement to Setsuna, the guardian of time and heir to Pluto's throne. She stared  
in suprise and followed Wufei back up the stairs to Dederi's room.  
  
Wufei leaned once again on the doorway as Setsuna entered. Her eyes went straight to the sleeping form of Chibi-usa.  
"Small Lady!" She knelt down next to the pink-haired child. Dederi was seated on the foot of the bed as Trowa stood  
behind her.  
  
"Pluto, I found her at the front steps of the mansion a few hours before you got back here. She asked for her guardian.  
Chibiusa claimed you were her guardian."  
  
Setsuna stared wide-eyed at Chibi-usa. "But how can she be here? Serenity's dead and-"  
  
"What does this have to do with the weak hime, Pluto?" Dederi scowled. Despite her 'comrads' love and admiration for  
the Lunarian hime, she seemed to have no recollection of as to why they admired and protected her so. And despite her  
attraction to a certain Latin pilot and close friendship to Ibaren and Nova, the raven-haired assassin still had no   
idea what love and care truly meant.  
  
"Chibi-usa is Serenity-hime's DAUGHTER, Dederi-kun." Setsuna glared at Dederi's scornful remark about Usagi.  
[How dare she?!] She thought, an angry expression appearing on her tanned and noble face.  
  
The female assassin within the room looked unemotionally at Chibiusa, then back at Setsuna. "Daughter."  
[The daughter of the baka-hime.]  
  
"Yes, daughter."  
  
Chibi-usa slowly opened her red-tinted orbs and sat up, slightly groggy from her nap. When her eyes focused, she   
smiled joyously. "Puu!" She scrambled out of the bedsheets and hugged Setsuna.  
  
"Small Lady, we should go downstairs. The other senshi would want to see you." She hugged back. Chibi-usa nodded  
happily. Setsuna and Chibi-usa walked out of the room.  
  
Wufei looked out of the room, still leaning on the door frame. "So the chibi-onna's the daughter of that blond  
odango onna?"  
  
Dederi nodded and stood up to walk out the door to listen to the senshi's conversation downstairs. When she reached   
the stairs and leaned on the small marble pillar that began the wooden banister. Trowa sat on the steps in front  
of her as Wufei leaned on the banister opposite his 'sensei' and gundam comrad.  
  
"Chibiusa-chan!" Makoto yelled suprisedly as she hugged her small friend, who in turn hugged back. "What are you doing  
here?"  
  
Hotaru burst into tears, like the other senshi, overjoyed to see her best friend again.  
  
Chibi-usa smiled. "Well, I dunno exactly." Then her expression turned into a sad smile. "After oka'-san died,  
I stayed with Mamo-chan. But when I went to Rei's temple I didn't see anyone there. An' then I found myself outside  
this place. I knocked on the door and Dede-chan found me and gave me hot chocolate!" She giggled again, her cheerful  
expression back in place.  
  
"Hot chocolate?!" Duo jerked. [Not fair!]  
  
(Cue the sweatdrops)  
  
Haruka didn't understand something. "Hey, this doesn't make sense. If Mamoru is back in our world, and Serenity-hime's,"  
she paused, refusing to say the word 'dead'," then why would she be sent here? Would Mamoru find another-"  
  
"I do not know." Setsuna shook her head. "I have not forseen this."  
  
"This simply isn't logical.." the blue-haired Mercurian typed furiously on her mini computer. "The time-space continuem  
hasn't been disrupted in the past week by anything or anyone besides us."   
  
Michiru's eyes wandered to Dederi, who leaned on the marble banister on the top of the stairs. "What do you think of  
this, Dederi-kun?"  
  
Dederi crossed her arms. "Something must have sent Chibi-usa through the time gate. Or maybe she was here for a certain  
purpose." She sighed nonchalantly, then glared indirectly. "But for whatever reason, she must not stay in my way."  
  
Chibi-usa sat down on Haruka's lap, yawning again. "Maybe it's just 'cause you guys are here." She directed her attention  
to all of the senshi that were worried for her welfare. She had not been listening to Dederi's previous remark.  
  
Minako nodded in acknowledgement. "Maybe, Chibiusa-chan. I suggest we all get some sleep. We've been out the whole evening  
and I need my beauty sleep. We can discuss this tommorow morning." She giggled. "No use discussing something important if  
half of us will be too sleepy to listen."  
  
Everyone nodded, even Setsuna agreed quietly, although still pondering as to why Chibi-usa would still be alive if   
Serenity-hime had died.  
  
"Wait, what about Chibi-usa? Where'll she sleep?" Hotaru inquired.  
  
A monotone voice answered solemnly. "Chibi-usa can sleep in my room. I'll sleep on the couch."  
  
Chibi-usa smiled warmly to her new friend. "Arigato, Dede-chan. You sure you don't mind?"  
  
"Oh, that's not necessary, Dederi-kun. She can sleep in another one of the guest rooms, if she likes." Quatre suggested,  
not wanting Dederi to sleep on the couch.  
  
Dederi shook her head. "It's fine. I won't get much sleep anyway." Suddenly, a voice interrupted her thoughts within her  
own head.  
  
*~This is the first time I've ever seen you so compassionate, Kuro-chan.~*  
  
Dederi scowled. *~Kuso, I forgot you could speak in minds, Iba-kun.~*  
*~How strange. You never forget anything, Kuro-chan.~* Ibaren thought back worriedly. *~Something wrong?~*  
*~Nothing, Iba-kun.~* Dederi smirked. *~Too bad you can't read minds, Iba-kun.~*  
*~Don't push it.~* He retorted. *~So what if I'm unable to read minds? I can still speak with my inherited power can't I?~*  
Dederi laughed, causing everyone to turn their attention to her. She stared at all the suprised looks, then scowled  
and stomped back into her room.  
  
Ibaren sent one last message into her retreating mind before discontinuing the conversation. *~You realize you're  
acting much more nervous than usual, Kuroi?~*  
  
*~Shut up.~*  
  
"What was that about?" Quatre wondered, scratching the back of his head, shifting his platinum blond tresses as he did so.  
Duo shook his head. "That is one unexplainable dame, that's fer sure."  
  
Heero had been silent the whole conversation. [First Dederi-kun attempts to assassinate Relena-baka, then a girl comes  
along from out of no where. What the hell is next?]  
  
Setsuna smiled, taking Chibi-usa's small hand into her slender palm. "I'll walk you back to Dederi-kun's room, Small  
Lady." The two walked cheerfully up the main staircase, followed later by the inner and outer senshi.  
  
Wufei put his hands in his pockets and walked down the stairs. "So." He turned to Ibaren, who was casually lounging  
on the elevated coffee table by the window. "I take it you read minds."  
  
The rest of the pilots noticed a smirk on the magi's lips. He responded, ~I don't read. I talk.~  
  
"Isn't that the same, kisama?" He retorted.  
  
Ibaren chuckled and walked away, presumably towards the courtyard. ~No. No, it isn't.~  
  
Quatre and Duo stared strangely at Wufei thinking, [Why is he talking to himself?]  
  
The 'Perfect Soldier' turned on his jet black laptop. A window popped up on the screen. "Mission."  
At that word, the other pilots surrounded the laptop, reading what the email from Dr. J stated.  
  
-  
  
Gundam pilots-  
  
Destroy Valkyrie Base. The base is producing more amounts of mobil dolls. Located at coordinates 33098-392847-3.  
Mobil dolls will be ejected from east base hangar by alarm. Destroy everything.  
  
J.  
  
-  
  
Heero clicked the 'reply' button and typed in -Mission Accepted-. The other pilots nodded in acknowledgement. "We'll  
move out at 7." Heero ordered, shutting his laptop. [Dr. J didn't mention anything about the Peacecraft Ball. Strange.]  
  
(Time Change: Next Morning, 6:00am)  
  
The five gundam pilots sat in the kitchen on the wooden chairs that surrounded the center counter. Each held  
a mug of coffee, most of which were caffiene-filled. Heero typed furiously on his computer, probably researching more  
information about the Valkyrie Base, as well as searching to see if there were any news about the Peacecraft Ball incident  
that happened a few days ago. Suprisingly, he found none, and it seemed that most newspapers and magazines that did  
portray the Peacecraft Ball only commented about the decorations and people that attended. He sipped his coffee  
slowly. [Something's not right. There should have been a news broadcast about the incident, to say the least.]  
  
Duo, yawning continuously, put down his mug of coffee and opened another container of Irish Cream(c) and poured its  
contents into the mug, then taking the silver teaspoon next to him and mixing the coffee with the creamer. "Did we  
really have to wake up this early?" He whined, his cobalt eyes drooping.  
"Shut your mouth, Maxwell. It's not that early." Wufei, who sat across from him, barked. He held his green mug to  
his mouth, pouring the strong, black coffee into his mouth. "I've been up earlier than this."  
"Aww, come on, Wu-man. The damn sun isn't even up yet."  
"My name is WuFEI, Maxwell!" Wufei retorted angrily. He began to reach for his katana.  
A few rays of light, coming from the sun, began to lazily make its way into the room, through the large lattice doors.  
It was dawn. Duo looked out the glass lattice door and sweatdropped.  
  
"Someone up there doesn't like me." He groaned. The braided American pilot set his mug down and began to run, attempting  
to get a headstart before Wufei chopped him into pieces.  
  
As Duo and Wufei ran out of the kitchen beginning their 'cat and mouse' chase, the inner senshi made their way into the  
kitchen, still wearing their pajamas. Makoto opened the refridgerator. "Do you guys want pancakes or french toast?"  
Minako, who pulled up a chair next to Quatre, happily said, "French toast."  
"I say french toast." Rei agreed.  
Ami nodded, agreeing. "If everyone wants french toast, okay then."  
Makoto, as she pulled the ingredients out of the mahogany cupboard, got an idea. "Maybe Dederi-kun could help us. What do   
you think, Ami-chan?"  
Ami thought about it for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Yes, it might be a good idea."  
  
"Maybe we'll be able to become friends!" Minako agreed, smiling. Rei slowly nodded.   
  
"I know she's usually awake at 5 or something, but where could we find her?"  
  
Trowa, who had been listening to the conversation while sipping his coffee and reading the newspaper, answered. "She's  
in the training room."  
  
Makoto, Ami, Minako, and Rei looked towards the Latin teenager. "How'd you know?"  
  
Trowa hid his blush behind his newspaper. "I..saw her training earlier.."  
  
The emerald-eyed Jovian nodded slowly, then motioned for her friends to follow her. Out of curiosity, Heero, Quatre, and  
Trowa followed.  
  
Nova grinned as she stood nonchalantly, two of her trusty white handguns in her hands. She wore a form-fitting white tanktop  
and white shorts with black stripes, along with her black tennis shoes with white stripes. Nova also had on white  
riding gloves and her hair was up in its usual fashion, with long, shiny bangs framing the sides of her face. She turned  
off the safety of her handguns and put her fingers on the triggers. She and Ibaren, who stood a few feet away from her,  
were to shoot or throw whatever they could at a certain raven-haired assassin. They were training because of the fact  
that Ibaren had a sort of 'premonition' that Youhko or one of his henchmen would soon arrive to 'talk' to Dederi.  
"Ready?"  
  
Ibaren concentrated his energy towards his hands as he began to glow a faint blue and white. Aside from the blue-white  
aura, his current attire consisted of a white muscle shirt and Chinese-style black pants. His hair was also in its usual  
spiked fashion. "I'm ready. You ready, Kuro-chan?"  
  
Dederi smirked. "Go." She stood, arms crossed and feet loosely standing on the blue mat which covered the wooden floor.  
She was wearing black spandex shorts and was wearing a sort of sports-bra-like shirt, colored in a deep shade of black  
and showed a significant amount of her middriff. Dederi also wore her black riding gloves.   
  
The blonde-highlighted assassin raised her guns and aimed towards Dederi, who stood ready. She fired her live rounds  
at her partner, looking unfeeling and focused at her target. Dederi quickly dodged them, caught two of them and tossed  
them behind her into the wastebasket. Ibaren, the telepathic magi, threw a barrage of blue and white energy spheres  
at Dederi, who blocked the spheres with her hands, which had red and black shields. Taking Ibaren's attack as a diversion,  
Nova swiftly reloaded her guns and shot six bullets towards Dederi. Dederi kept one hand focused on Ibaren's energy spheres  
and the other on the bullets, and dodging the ones she missed by jumping or chucking a few of her own blood red and black  
energy spheres back at Nova's and Ibaren's weapons.   
  
"You two have done better than this." Dederi jeered, frontflipping to avoid an energy beam from Ibaren. She stopped moving  
and crossed her arms, annoyed. "Let's try something else." Dederi then ran at full speed towards two of her friends and  
began to swiftly throw punches at them.  
Ibaren grinned. "How fun. Full contact it is." He blocked Dederi's uppercut then countered with a spinning kick.  
As Ibaren and Dederi exchanged uppercuts, jabs, spin kicks, and other martial arts attacks, she walked over to the  
beverage machine and hit the center of the machine with a hard elbow. A bottle of clear spring water popped out. She  
picked it up, opened the bottle, and drank its contents. "Well, I'm taking a breather. Unfortunately, I'm not dragon and  
youkai, like you guys."  
  
Dederi used a roundhouse kick to knock Ibaren off balance. "Actually, I'm dragon, youkai, and 1/3 human. Iba-kun here  
is human and dragon." She blocked Ibaren's jump kick and backflipped. While she was airborne, she continued. "And you're  
technically half youkai, so you shouldn't be tired yet."  
"So what?" Nova answered nonchalantly. "I'm still not from your dimension. I belong in the Silver Millenium dimension."  
She then stuck her tongue out distainfully. "As a commoner."  
"At least you won't have to end up as the Neo Queen of the Silver Millenium, Nova-kun." Dederi landed and drop kicked  
Ibaren, causing him to fall flat on his back.  
The reincarnated magi stared suprisedly at his friend. "You? Queen?!"  
  
The raven-haired teen stood over her friend, a monotone expression on her face. "Yes. Neo Queen of the Silver Millenium.  
But I don't see myself as the queen of such a weak civilization. And I refuse to be protected by those weak onnas called  
sailor senshi."  
  
"But," Ibaren pointed up towards Dederi's overlooking face, "You're also a senshi and an onna. A strong onna, as a matter  
of fact."  
  
At that moment, Makoto, Ami, Rei, Minako, Trowa, Heero, and Quatre entered the training room. Rei and Minako's mouths  
hung agape. Dederi, Nova, and Ibaren haven't noticed before, but, they had completely destroyed another two of Quatre's  
punching bags and the beverage machine had a fist-sized hole in the center. Without thinking, Dederi waved towards Trowa,  
who smiled in response and waved back. Minako and Rei noticed this cheerful exchange with wide eyes.  
Minako, being the nosey one, asked a question. "Is something going on between you two?"  
  
Dederi's hand retracted as she realized what she had just done. She put her monotone expression back onto her face.   
"No, Venusian-baka. Why would there be anything be going on between me and unibang Barton?" She was calm enough to  
ignore Ibaren's gaze of curiosity. THEN she noticed that Ibaren was right below her and that Ami was staring at their  
awkward position. Dederi stepped away and pulled Ibaren up by his hand. She picked up her long, slender, white ribbon,  
which was laid carelessly on the oak bench by the lockers, and tied her hair into a very high ponytail with two wisps  
of hair going down the sides of her face, like the day before.  
  
"Well, it's just that I saw you wave to Trowa-kun and didn't even bother to wave to us."  
  
Rei added, "And you were staring directly at Trowa-kun right when we came in!"  
Dederi stared emotionlessly at them, although her mind was racing. [Shimatta.] She growled. "Nothing is going on between  
me and Barton and never will be."  
Trowa slightly stiffened at that remark. Was she stating the truth, or just hiding their relationship?  
Dederi, throwing her white towel over her shoulder, walked off.  
  
"You know, I still don't believe her." Minako said to Rei, who nodded in agreement.  
Rei continued, "But still, I would be suprised if there was something going on between those two. I mean, Dederi-kun's  
not necessarily the kind of person I'd expect to have a boyfriend."  
They heard Nova's strong voiced laugh ring throughout the room. They looked towards her. Nova was still sitting on the  
oak sports bench, her left hand over her mouth. She seemed to be attempting to prevent from laughing any further, but to  
no avail.  
"What's so funny, Nova-kun?" Makoto wondered.  
Nova waved her hand away. [Oh, how wrong they are. Jeez, anyone SMART could see that those two like each other.] She  
continued to laugh. Unbeknownst to everyone, Trowa had left.  
  
Ibaren narrowed his dark green eyes. [Human emotions are such a fickle thing.]  
  
A woman, about a few years before the age of twenty, looked out her office window, taking in the scenery around her.  
Although, this was rather strange, because the scenery around her was mostly forest and vegetation. The woman wore  
her usual military attire; black turtleneck shirt with gold lining, white gloves, white cotton pants, and knee length  
black boots. Her hair was a very dark black, reaching to her shoulders. Her dark bronze eyeshadow and thin red lipstick   
shined dimly against the glare of the early risen sun. She turned around and looked back at her office. The walls were   
adorned with white and red carnations in hand-weaved wicker baskets, which hung on metal hooks, and maps of the surrounding  
area. The flowers were of little contrast to her stark white office walls and cherrywood desk, which was currently covered  
by papers and forms, with exception to the black phone sitting on the edge of it. She slammed her hands onto the desk,  
aggravated. She closed her violet eyes. "Damn you."   
The cherrywood door of her office opened abruptly as another woman barged in. This woman had very dark brown hair, tied  
in a high odango with her large bangs framing her nicely tanned face, although her face was more sullen than nice. She  
wore a midnight black pantsuit with a white silk shirt underneath, along with plain black shoes. She had dark purple  
eyeshadow, which slightly contrasted with her dark red-violet eyes. The woman narrowed her eyes at her sister, who had  
just banged her hands on the expensive cherrywood. "You know that won't do anything, Arashi."  
"Oh, anata fakku. Why the hell does our damn brother want Kuroi back? We're strong enough. We don't need her. She betrayed  
us." The aggravated female answered.  
Arashi's sister smirked at her. "You're spending too much time around humans, Arashi. Your human emotions are beginning to  
arise once more."  
"Anata fakku, Inabikari. Anata fakku." Arashi crossed her arms. She decided to change the subject. "Why the hell are you  
here, anyway?"  
"Project Valkyrie's ready to be executed, Arashi."  
Arashi picked up a piece of paper from the clutter on her desk. "And the Gundams?"  
Inabikari answered, moving her bangs from her eyes. "We intercepted the email Dr. J sent to the pilots. They are to arrive  
in an hour or so to destroy the base."  
"Send all of the mobil suits out when they arrive."  
"What about you?" Inabikari asked.  
Arashi smirked. "I will be out to greet them."  
  
======  
AN: That was SUCH a lOOng writer's block. Well, I'll try to get the next chapter out soon. Plz email me if you have a   
suggestion or if you want some particular thing to happen! R&R too plz!  
  
Email: ketsekiburade@hotmail.com 


	10. A Forgotten Acquaintance

Lunar Succession  
  
Author: ~Heartless Spirit~  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own SM or GW. I DO own Dederi, so no stealin'! AND IBAREN TOO!!! NOVA BELONGS TO JESS-CHAN!!!  
(Youhko's my own character too, if you haven't realized that by now...)  
  
AN: Oi, minna! [Translation: Hey, Everyone!] I hope you liked Ch.9-Valkyrie!  
  
Unfortunately, the beginning of this chapter is..fluffy [I'm sorry!]. Don't worry, tho! [ducks flying tomatoes] there's  
action in the rest of the chapter!!! stop throwing vegetables at me!  
  
I think this is the longest chapter I've ever worked on. It's not the end yet, tho.  
  
======  
Lunar Succession  
======  
Chapter 10-A Forgotten Acquaintance  
======  
  
Trowa turned a corner and found himself in the corridor that was connected to everyone's bedrooms. He turned the  
brass doorknob, opening the oak door which led to Dederi's room. His brown hair shifted slightly, glancing at the  
little girl that lay on Dederi's bed. Chibiusa looked very peaceful, so serene. He walked over and slowly put the  
warm red blanket over Chibiusa's shoulders, so she wouldn't get cold. He then looked back up and towards the small  
balcony, the white lattice doors open. The white silk, which served as the curtains, wafted around smoothly, coinciding  
with the early morning breeze. Trowa looked at the girl who leaned on the stone balcony railing. She had her back turned  
and her raven hair stirred. She had also changed clothes, no longer wearing her black training outfit, but wearing a white  
robe, probably derived from her bathroom [AN: All bedrooms had bathrooms].   
"What's wrong?" Dederi asked, not turning around.  
Trowa walked over and leaned against the balcony railing. "Did you mean what you said?" The Latin pilot saw the female  
assassin close her eyes, still not turning around. She seemed to be contemplating something, although Trowa was not   
exactly sure what about. Dederi opened her eyes again and looked down at the steps of the mansion [AN: her balcony was   
above the front door].  
  
"I..don't know."   
  
Trowa looked down, saddened. [Was doing this a mistake?] Dederi continued to speak her mind; something she rarely did,   
even with her friends.   
  
"I always wondered what caring deeply about someone would be like..And now that I know, it's as if my perspective of  
my life has altered itself. It scares me. I'm used to unexpected things, but not anything like this." She then laughed  
falsely, as if hiding a certain sadness or human feeling. "Can you believe it? Me..the heartless assassin.." Her eyes  
were shadowed, a trickle of water slowly moving to her chin. She let a sob escape herself as she talked histerically.  
"The one who the senshi call impurity..the one who wouldn't give a damn about anyone! Crying..exposing herself..showing  
human emotion!" She slammed her fist down onto the stone railing.  
  
Trowa's eyes gradually softened as he walked over and embraced her from behind.  
Dederi leaned onto him, unusually feeling comforted. They stayed in silence for a moment, then resumed their conversation.  
"I never knew you could be scared." Trowa said cautiously, closing his eyes. "I'll always be there for you.."  
Dederi didn't retort, but buried her head into his chest, letting her tears flow freely and the choked sobs turn into full  
sobs, pouring her heart out. Trowa hugged her. He felt as if he never wanted anything to happen to Dederi every again. To  
never let her cry again. Trowa took his hand and softly combed his hand through her dark thin hair, feeling it limply  
wafting through the spaces inbetween his fingers. He understood her a little more now. [She's afraid of human   
emotions.] He thought, simply. Trowa softly touched her cheek with his finger, feeling her pale, yet soft, skin  
on his fingertips. Trowa now also realized that this was the first time he actually really cared for someone before. Not  
like Catherine, or the other pilots. More than friendship or family. To him, he felt as if he was, the first time, truly  
alive. Trowa bent down and kissed Dederi on her forehead and chuckled as he saw her cheeks turn red. "So."  
"What?" She asked softly, leaning against his muscular chest once more. The tears seemed to stop flowing as they held  
each other through their comforting embrace.  
Trowa tightened his hold on her and smiled. "When do you think the others will find out?"  
Dederi shrugged. "Whenever they do."  
  
Trowa laughed. "What is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"I don't know." Dederi looked out at the scenery behind her. [As long as I'm with you.]  
  
Duo and Wufei had FINALLY finished their chase and were now seated, once again, in the kitchen, drinking coffee. Wufei  
was comfortably reading a Chinese action-adventure novel as Duo just drank and sat placidly across from him. Makoto,  
Rei, and Ami were cooking waffles, eggs, and bacon. They refused to let Minako cook [AN: She's a bad cook! der!] so she  
was in the living room, talking and flirting with Quatre. Heero was in his room, typing on his computer, Ibaren was in  
the courtyard meditating, and Nova had just entered the kitchen.  
  
Duo turned to the brown-haired-blonde-highlighted teenager, who had just entered. "Hey, babe. How's it goin'?"  
Nova loudly shut the doors, the wood banging against each other. "First of all," she replied casually, "Don't call me babe.  
Second, I'm just fine." The American pilot stood up and leaned on Nova's shoulder with his left elbow.   
"Jeez, someone's in a bad mood. Anythin' I can do to cheer you up?" He said mischieviously.  
Nova caught that glint in his eye and shrugged him off. "Baka hentai."  
Duo scratched his head. "What does that mean?"  
The assassin grinned and opened the refridgerator, pulling out a small box of ice cream. Then, she walked over to the drawers  
next to the stove and opened a drawer, pulling out a small metal spoon. She pushed the drawer closed and began to eat the  
contents of the ice cream container. Ami read the box label. "Ben&Jerry's Vanilla Caramel Swirl. Nova-kun, you shouldn't be  
eating ice cream this early in the morning."  
Nova took out the spoon from her mouth, swallowing the ice cream that had just melted in her mouth. "Mmh?"  
"You shouldn't be eating ice cream this early in the morning, Nova-kun, it's not healthy.." Ami repeated.  
Nova rolled her dark violet eyes, significantly annoyed. "Omae o korosu, Mercury. Leave your preaching to someone who goddamn  
cares." She ate more ice cream and left the kitchen. Duo followed. He was going to find out why she was so aggravated.  
  
[Another attack will come soon. But when? How the hell'll we know..all the innocent lives..I've seen enough deaths.]  
Nova thought, taking another solemn bite of her ice cream.  
"Yo, Nova-chan, what's wrong? You're acting pissed." Duo asked worriedly, walking up to her.  
The highlighted half-youkai sighed aggravatedly and turned around to face him. She walked toward him and put her face  
forward. Nova's face was just about two inches from Duo's face, causing Duo to jerk slightly. "None.of.your.damn.business."  
Duo casually moved his face forward and put his lips quickly onto hers. Nova was, from the looks of it, in shock. After  
a few seconds, Duo pulled back. He put his usual playful grin back onto his face and said: "You sure you don't want to tell  
me?"  
Nova stared at the braided pilot. "N..nani?"  
Duo scratched his head again. "I'm guessing that means what."  
Nova blinked slowly, letting her brain process everything that just happened. "Why'd you do that?" She said quietly, and from  
the tone of it, in shock.  
Duo shrugged, still smiling, and put his hands into his pockets. "Cuz I like you, of course." With that, he disappeared back  
into the kitchen. Minako and Quatre, who had been in the living room the whole time, just stared.  
  
Quatre turned around as he heard footsteps. It was Heero, with his usual scowl on his face. As if on que, Duo and Wufei  
came out from the kitchen. Heero merely nodded and said, "Let's go."  
  
"Wait. Where's Trowa?" Quatre asked, getting up from his seat.  
Duo began to walk towards the stairs. "I'll get him. He's probably in his room typing or somethin'." As soon as he walked  
into the corridor that connected to all of the bedrooms, everyone heard Duo open a door, then close one. They saw the  
braided pilot walked back out and stood with a confused expression on the top of the varnished stairs. "He's not there."  
Wufei then jerked nervously, as did Nova. Duo noticed Nova's nervous disposition. "What's wrong now?"  
The Chinese martial artist put his hands into his pockets and walked up the stairs. "I'll get him kisama." Duo stared  
suprisedly at Wufei.   
"How do you know where the unibang is?" He asked.  
Wufei ignored his question and tartly pushed Duo, causing Duo to stagger down the stairs. As soon as he heard Duo's  
cry of pain from the bottom of the stairs, he knocked on Dederi's oak door with his knuckles. Dederi opened the door.  
"What is it?"  
"You know, Dederi, if Trowa's always in your room doing kami-sama knows what, they'll find out." He sneered.  
Trowa walked up to the door, wrapping his arms around Dederi's shoulders while leaning on her. "..."  
"Why'd you knock?" Dederi pursued.  
Wufei pointed his finger in the direction of the stairs. "Time to go."  
Trowa nodded and kissed Dederi on the lips, who kissed back in response. He then walked with Wufei towards the stairs.  
  
(Time-Place Change: Two hours later-one mile from Valkyrie Base)  
  
Heero configured his controls to Wing Zero's buster rifle as he and the other gundams flew towards the Rommefeller Base.  
The Valkyrie Base wasn't your usual enemy base; it was specifically designed for attack and mobil suit combat. This  
particular base did manufacture tauruses and virgos and such, but the manufacturing building was half a mile from the  
control towers and there were hundreds of mobil suits near the front lines. The gundam pilots' mission was to basically  
destroy all mobil suits in the Valkyrie Base and completely annihilate the control towers and everything within the facility.  
Rather simple, wasn't it?   
"Approaching coordinates." Quatre said, looking at the electronic map on his vidscreen.   
The others nodded and began their attack. Heero sent a large energy beam from his buster rifle to the first line of mobil  
suits, which consisted mostly of minor, less powerful mobil suits, such as tauruses and leos. The mobil suits that were  
caught in the line of Heero's buster rifle exploded violently, the smell of metal and various chemicals intoxicating the  
surrounding vicinity. Duo used Deathscythe Hell's scythe and slashed at the remaining tauruses in the front line as Trowa  
send millions of bullets and missles at the control lower. Wufei began to send a wave of crimson fire at the base and  
Quatre used the blades on Sandrock's back to annihilate the leos that were coming up from behind. Duo dodged a pair of  
missles from a nearby leo and cut it in half with the scythe, causing the suit to explode.   
"This is too easy." Wufei murmured. He sent a barrage of fire at another two mobil suits.  
  
"Wait..why isn't the base damaged?" Quatre stared. Trowa had sent millions and millions of bullets at the buildings and  
control tower of the base, but whenever the barrage of bullets were within feet of the large buildings, they were met with  
a sort of shield; a dark red one, in fact.  
Trowa suddenly sensed something. He wasn't sure what, but it seemed something like a very evil force. [Something's here..]  
The Latin pilot hastily sent a communication vidscreen to Wufei. "Wufei, do you feel that?"  
Through the screen, Trowa saw Wufei nod. "Something's here." Wufei acknowledged, looking around. "I sense it's closer to   
the base."  
"Hey, what're you guys talkin' about? I don't feel-" Duo's voice was cut short when everyone heard a strong, feminine  
laugh.   
  
"My, my. Now isn't this fun." Everyone turned towards the Valkyrie Base's control tower. On the roof of the tower was  
a woman dressed in the compulsory Rommefeller soldier outfit, white pants, black combat boots, and a dark crimson turtleneck  
with gold lining. She had semi-flat black hair, that went down to her shoulders and seemed to end in spikes at the ends.  
She also had well-tanned skin and a menacing look on her face. "You must be the gundam pilots."  
Heero remained calm, although was curious as to find out who this girl was. "Omae o korosu. Who are you?" He glared  
ferociously.  
The woman ceased her menacing laugh and looked seriously at the mobil suits that allowed the pilots to fight at the moment.  
"Colonel Arashi." Then she clenched her right fist and it began to glow a dark violet, with a tint of crimson red.   
"Surrender the Dark Incarnate."  
  
"Dark Incarnate?" Quatre was bewildered. "Who is the Dark Incarnate?"  
Arashi began to look aggravated. "Don't play dumb with me, human. Give me the Dark Incarnate."  
"Yo, lady, we don't know any Dark Incarnate." Duo's voice entered the "conversation".  
Arashi narrowed her eyes and fired a devastating blast at Trowa's Heavyarms, which fell back, onto the shaken ground. Trowa  
grit his teeth. "Ergh.." His body shook with the impact and he fought to adjust his eyes to his surroundings. When the  
mobil suit ceased shaking, he opened his eyes once more. His vidscreen was neutral, and the controls of Heavyarms had no  
serious damage. After pressing a few buttons and moving the throttles forward, he managed to get his gundam back online.  
Quatre and Duo's faces appeared on his vidscreen, both of which had worried looks on them. "You okay, Trowa?"   
"..." Trowa merely nodded.  
Arashi tapped her foot impatiently. "If you don't want me to kill you, give me the Dark Incarnate!"  
"We don't know who the Dark Incarnate is, nor do we 'have' her." Wufei yelled aggravatedly. He opened the entrance hatch  
to Nataku and stepped onto the flat part of the door. He held his hand out in front of him and narrowed his eyes.  
"Wufei, what're you doing?!" Heero yelled through his vidscreen, but recieved no answer. Wufei had begun to glow a  
faint white and a sphere of white fire escaped his hand and floated above it. Wufei then drew the ki sphere-weilding hand  
back and then pushed it forward, shooting a large ki blast at Colonel Arashi. The white fire barely grazed the base's  
shield. "What?!" Wufei stared. As the white fog of smoke began to clear from where Wufei had sent the attack, the pilots  
heard a loud laugh.  
Arashi was the one who laughed. "As you can see, my specialized Valkyrie shield cannot be penetrated. It is impossible."  
Then she narrowed her eyes and looked straight at Wufei and drew her hand back. Her hand began to glow another violet-red  
as a ki-sphere appeared in her hand.  
Heero saw what she was doing and quickly yelled out, "Wufei, get back in your gundam before-!" His warning was cut short  
when Wufei recieved a strong violet-red ki blast to his chest. He fell back into the cockpit of Nataku, his back hitting  
the main control panel. As if by entry of the pilot, Nataku's entrance hatch closed. Quatre, Trowa, Heero, and Duo's faces  
came up on his screen. "Wufei!" Everyone gaped at Wufei's condition. Their Chinese comrad was bleeding extensively; his  
arms were cut deeply, as were his legs, he had spit up blood upon impact, and his chest wasn't doing too well.  
  
Arashi decided to give the humans a break. After all, where's the fun in killing them quickly? "Your friend's ribs have  
collapsed and has two broken arms and a swollen ankle. You better get him back to wherever you came from or, well," She  
laughed mockingly, then sneered, "he'll die."  
  
Heero was about to blast her with his buster rifle when Quatre came up on his screen. "Heero! As much as I hate to say this,  
Colonel Arashi's right! We have to go back!" At this statement, Heero grunted, but nodded. Trowa and Heero used their  
gundams to haul Nataku and Wufei back to the Magunacs' hangar, led by Quatre and DUo.  
  
From afar, Arashi frowned scornfully. [It has begun. Damn you brother.] "Yukio Tomi." As she said that name, the concrete  
behind her began to waver, then the air above it moved. The proportions of it were changing, writhing as the wind picked  
up and swirled around the altering space. A black shadow emerged, or rather, matterialized, from the changed space. The  
dark entity quickly formed into a solid shape. Into a young man, dressed also in a compulsory Rommefeller soldier's outfit.  
'He' had slick black hair, tightly pulled back into a braid that reached down to his posterior, leaving his semi-spiked  
bangs framing his face and sides of it. His light, slightly pale skin went placidly with his sheer ice blue eyes, and   
his overall expression was rather serious and monotone. As Arashi sensed his presence, she ordered, "Stay away from her."  
The young man, presumably named Yukio, smirked mockingly at her. "I don't know what you're talking about."  
"Don't fuck with me, Yukio. You know of the project. She either comes to us, or elimination. I know you have human feelings  
for her. Stay away from her." Arashi ordered aggravatedly, not facing him. Yukio narrowed his eyes and dematterialized.  
Arashi snapped her fingers, and Inabikari appeared beside her in a glow of tarnished bronze. Arashi crossed her arms.  
"Dispatch the sentinels."   
  
Rei flipped the pages of the Sanq Kingdom newspaper that she held in her hands, her violet eyes darting back and forth  
as she scanned the articles. She whined, "This place is so boring! There's nothing here but pacifism and hopes for peace!  
There isn't even any comics in this damn thing!"  
  
"Hopes for peace isn't necessarily a bad thing, Rei-chan." Ami protested. "It's a good thing that these people are striving  
for peace."  
  
"Oh, Ami-chan, I'm not saying that this boring crap isn't stupid, I'm just saying that this place needs to have some   
liveliness. It's so boring." Rei chided.  
  
"The strange thing is," Setsuna said, turning Rei's newspaper around so everyone could see. "There isn't any news of the  
Peacecraft Ball incident anywhere!" Everyone looked at the newspaper.   
"Really, Sets?" Haruka stared, scanning the paper with her eyes. "Let's see-Sports, Clothing, Sales, War Efforts.."  
Michiru looked on. "There isn't anything!"  
  
"That's really weird." Minako and Makoto said simultaneously.  
  
"There should've been..something isn't right." says Hotaru, carefully thinking about the possibilities of which there might  
be a trap or something of the sort.  
  
Dederi came down the stairs, wearing a red tanktop and black pants with black combat boots and biker gloves with metal studs,   
with Ibaren and Nova. Nova wore a short tan tanktop with rolled up dark blue jeans and white tennis shoes, as well as white  
biker gloves, and Ibaren wore a white muscle shirt, showing off his well-toned muscles, dark cobalt blue jeans, and white  
rubber shoes, along with black biker gloves. What suprised the other senshi was that Dederi was carrying Chibiusa. On her  
back!  
  
"D-Dederi-kun?" Minako stuttered, not taking her eyes off of her pink-haired friend.  
Dederi looked towards them. "What, Venus?"   
"What're you doing?" She asked cautiously.  
  
"I'm walking down the stairs, dumb ass." Dederi rolled her eyes. Nova and Ibaren chuckled.  
Haruka growled. "What she means is, Dederi-kun, why are you carrying Chibiusa-chan on her back?"  
Dederi rolled her eyes once more and cautiously put lowered herself so that Chibiusa could get off. Chibiusa reluctantly  
stepped off. Dederi glared indirectly. "How's that, Uranus?" She then motioned Nova and Ibaren to follow her. Dederi  
unlocked the brass doorknob and locks of the front mahogany door and opened it. She, Nova, and Ibaren then stepped out.  
Setsuna looked at Haruka with placid eyes. "You didn't have to be so aggravant, Ruka-chan."  
"Well, I still don't trust her. Especially with Chibiusa. She is the heir to the Lunarian throne, and we must protect  
her, mustn't we?" Haruka crossed her arms.  
  
Chibiusa looked sad. "But Dede-chan isn't that bad..she's really nice.."  
Setsuna shook her head. "Dederi IS the current Sailor Moon, Ruka-chan. And she is to rule the Lunarian throne, if you have  
forgotten, until Chibiusa is of age to take over. You don't expect Small Lady to rule the Earth and the Moon at her age,  
do you?!" Her fist tightened. Chibiusa hated it when Setsuna and the other senshi thought she was too small and too young.  
She sat on the couch next to Hotaru and pouted.  
Haruka narrowed her eyes, then slowly shook her head, her sandy-blond locks shifting. "No, I haven't forgotten that, Sets.  
All I'm saying is, Dederi-kun still can't be trusted. We're not even friends to begin with, let alone allies!"  
  
The sound of thrusters and landing mobil suits then halted the inner and outer senshi's debate. Makoto walked over and  
looked out the lattice windows at the front courtyard. "They're back!" Minako then smiled and stood up happily.  
"Then let's greet 'em!" Minako bounced up and down.  
  
Dederi narrowed her eyes and frowned as she watched Nataku being dragged on by Wing Zero and Heavyarms. "Let's go. Something  
isn't right." Ibaren and Nova nodded.  
  
Rashid watched as the gundams made their way into the massive hangar of the Magunacs, covering his ears tightly at the sound  
of Nataku's metal outer shell drag quickly on the concrete floor, causing sparks to fly around. As the gundams were hastily  
stowed in their proper storage docks, Quatre and the other pilots jumped out of their cockpits and quickly ran over to  
Nataku, who was deposited on the ground rather than the dock. "Rashid, get a stretcher!" Quatre ordered hastily as Heero and  
Duo pried the cockpit hatch open with crowbars. The hatch was then opened and the pilots, as well as some of the Magunacs,  
looked at their pilot comrad. He looked to still be breathing, although his breath was dangerously short and ragged.  
Trowa and Duo grabbed Wufei's cut arms slowly and pulled him up. Wufei involuntarily winced as his cuts were reopened and  
the blood on his chest, arms, and legs seemed to flow freely down onto the hangar floor. Rashid and two other Magunacs  
pushed a stretcher towards them, and Duo and Trowa carefully set Wufei onto it. At that moment, Ibaren, Nova, and Dederi  
walked into the hangar. They saw Wufei and, with eyes wide open, ran over to him and the other pilots.  
  
"What happened?!" Nova asked, her deep purple eyes shimmering with worry. Dederi walked to the left side of the stretcher  
and looked at Wufei's dangerously injured chest. She put her hand over it and touched the burned edges of his skin, making  
Wufei wince. Her eyes narrowed. Something was familiar about this injury, but she couldn't place what. It was something..no,  
someONE. Someone she couldn't remember, but indistinctly she did. Who was it?  
  
"We were attacked." Quatre sighed defeatedly.  
  
Ibaren looked closely at the cuts, ankle, then chest wound. He also identified these wounds, but where from?  
  
"How? I thought you were the ones on the mission to destroy that base..?" Nova crossed her arms.  
  
"Tell us what happened exactly." Dederi said tartly, still examining the extensive wound on Wufei's bleeding chest.  
[It's a miracle he isn't dead yet.] She thought.   
  
[He's unconscious and will be dead in a few hours if we don't do something.] Ibaren contemplated.  
  
"we were executing our mission to completely annihilate the Valkyrie Base that was controlled by the Rommefeller Foundation.  
It was going as planned, since we had no trouble destroying the leos and tauruses." Heero explained monotonely.  
  
[Who did this?] Dederi and Ibaren thought simultaneously.  
  
Heero continued. "There was a shield surrounding the base itself and we couldn't get past it. I don't understand why the  
shield could not have been read by the shield scanner in our gundams."  
  
[Who?]  
  
"Then some woman dressed in a high-ranking soldier outfit appeared standing on the top of Valkyrie's first control tower."  
Duo shrieked, overreacting. [AN: LOL!!!] "Then she rambled on about some Dark thing!"  
  
Dederi still kept her attention to Wufei, who began to shake. She put her pale hand to his forehead, attempting to calm him.  
[He's dying.] She closed her eyes and sighed. [Damnit, who the hell did this...]  
  
"Dark thing?" Nova stared.  
  
Trowa nodded. "I think whatever she wanted was the Dark Incarnate."  
  
Ibaren froze as Dederi quickly retracted her hand. The magi looked towards his monotone ally, who stared blankly at nothing.  
She looked as if the life, if any in her, had been ghosted away. Dederi lowered her hands and began to shake, her hands   
turning into tight fists that shook violently. Ibaren then looked at Trowa with grim eyes. "What was her name." It was more  
of a command than a question, and Trowa and the others heard his tone of voice.  
  
"I think it was Colonel Arashi."  
  
Dederi then looked at Wufei's wound once more. "Arashi." She whispered silently. Her eyes suddenly turned dull, a pair  
of dark red and grey sillouettes in the eyes of a thirdling. Dederi put her hand over Wufei's wound. It had infected, as  
would any flesh wound if not properly treated. Her hand slowly began to radiate a dark red and black. The wound stopped  
bleeding then. She then looked at the blood which was still wet on the stretcher. The blood slowly seeped up onto  
Wufei's stomach. Then chest. The wet blood then made its way back into his body. The others, save Nova and Ibaren, couldn't  
believe their eyes. Dederi was putting the shed blood back into its proper places.  
  
Dederi's eyes then glowed a deep crimson, and the cuts on his arms and legs slowly disappeared. There were no traces of  
blood on his skin, save his blood drenched shirt and pants. Unfortunately, Wufei's chest wound still   
remained open, although the blood abnormally stayed within him. The outer muscles were slightly visible through the thin  
layer of transparent skin, and it seemed that Dederi had not fixed the collapsed ribs. One of the ribs had nearly punctured  
his left lung. It would have been fatal if Dederi had not put the blood back into his body. She then put both of her hands  
onto the chest wound, causing Wufei to scream in pain. The pilots, not including Heero, winced and looked away, the scream  
agonizingly loud and the sight wasn't so pleasant either. Dederi still kept her hands on the wound. Her hands were then  
pulled up slowly. The black and red power that had emitted from Dederi's hands seemed to form a web, weaving through Wufei's  
torn skin and muscle tissue. She gracefully moved her hands, back and forth, upward and downward, like a master weaver  
preparing a rug. When her hands ceased glowing and the web of energy disappeared, the pilots, Ibaren, and Nova looked  
at Wufei's wound, but only to find that there was no wound. Only flesh.  
  
She retracted her hand from Wufei's healed chest and turned briskly around to face Ibaren and Nova. Ibaren stared  
sadly at her, as did Nova. Dederi closed her eyes tightly, as if in pain. Nova put her hand on Dederi's shoulder.  
"It'll be okay, Dede-chan.."  
  
Dederi shook her head. "No it won't. I can't escape my past. He'll come for me soon. I haven't used-"  
  
"Kuroi Abunai, stay calm. We will call upon him when Wufei awakes. Thee will not lose thy strength." Ibaren said wisely.  
The pilots stared. They had never heard Ibaren talk so seriously, nor so eloquently. It was as if he was an ancient  
guru or something of the sort. Ibaren then turned to Nova. "Do you still remember?"  
  
"Hai." Was all the highlighted assassin said solemnly.  
  
Heero's voice cut through the serious conversation, with the usual monotone. "What's going on?"  
  
"Who's after her?" Trowa cut in.  
  
Ibaren turned and directly looked at the Perfect Soldier. "We will explain when Chang wakes up and the senshi come."  
  
"What'll you explain?" Makoto and Ami said simultaneously, walking over. The senshi had looked as if they had been there  
for quite a while. Minako seemed to be looking at where Wufei laid, as if he was dead. Michiru, Haruka, and Hotaru were  
sitting on the nearby crates of extra gundam parts, and Setsuna held the sleeping Chibiusa in her arms as she stood  
next to Hotaru. Rei just stood next to Michiru, a bewildered expression on her face.   
  
Ibaren and Nova looked at their raven-haired friend, who was now standing limp in front of Wufei's unconscious body.  
The magi sighed slowly, feeling the air escape his lungs. "Of our true origin. We are not of the Silver Millenium, nor were  
we meant to be. Nova, though, was originally born in the Silver Millenium, but is also an essential part of other dimensions.  
But we cannot make haste. We must await the awakening of Chang, and then we shall tell of our origin."  
  
It seemed to be two hours of waiting as the impatiently awaited Wufei to come back into his conscious state. Wufei seemed  
to reclaim the color in his previously pale cheeks, and they heard a soft pattern of breathing coming from his mouth.  
In a matter of hours, Wufei slowly began to stirr. The Chinese pilot groaned painfully as he sat up, and rubbed his head,  
shaking away his dizziness. He looked around to find everyone, save Dederi, who was sitting on the floor looking at her  
hands in a painful way, staring directly at him. "Why's everyone staring at me?!"  
  
"It seems Dederi, Ibaren, and Nova have been hiding something from everyone. Dederi healed you, Wufei, if you're wondering  
what happened after you were hit with Arashi's blast." Heero said curtly. At the sound of the name, Dederi widened her eyes  
and her hands turned into shaking fists.   
  
"Arashi..damn you..I'll never.." Her fists began to bleed from the pressure as she murmured, somewhat psychotically.  
Ibaren walked over, and kneeled on one foot, looking at her blood-drenched hands, mixed with the smell of torn leather gloves  
and the sight of black and red fluid. He took his right hand and put his hand on Dederi's.   
  
"Stop it." Ibaren ordered. "You were never this weak, Kuroi. Have your emotions gotten the best of you? Has all of your  
heartless acts finally reached their breaking point?!" He yelled angrily at her. Ibaren look his hand and slapped her hard  
across the face. Her cheek turned a bright red as Ibaren retracted his hand. He did nothing more. Trowa wanted to so deeply  
punch Ibaren for slapping his lover across her face, but held back. He didn't know what to do. Everyone, even Heero, was  
overwhelmed with all the things that happened today. Trowa watched Ibaren with ruthless eyes. Dederi looked at her comrad,   
her eyes shaking with fear and wide with suprise. Her fists relaxed. Everyone stared in suprise. They had never seen him so   
angry.  
  
Dederi stood up, the blood from her hands dripping onto the concrete, leaving small circles of black and red near her feet.  
"I suppose you're wondering what we're talking about. Ibaren, Nova, and I. The truth is rather simple. We were never really  
meant to be in the Silver Millenium..or the Gundam era." Dederi avoided Trowa's piercing emerald gaze as she continued.  
"As before, Nova is originally from the Silver Millenium, although she proved to be of greater help in our dimension than  
in any other."  
  
"What is the name of this dimension you speak of." Setsuna interrogated abruptly.  
  
"It is somewhere where your useless archives have never recorded. It is known as the Tsurideragon dimension." Dederi looked  
at Ibaren and nodded, motioning him to continue. Ibaren looked towards the pilots and senshi, monotonely staring at them all  
with his dark, brooding eyes. They were no longer filled with joy and mirth, and neither were Nova's.  
The spiky-haired magi crossed his muscular arms, all eyes now fixed upon him. "Like Kuroi stated, Tsurideragon is our home  
dimension. It is secluded from all others, and has a rather different dimensional pattern from all others." Setsuna and Ami   
seemed to be the only ones who got that sentence, save the pilots. The other senshi seemed to scratch their heads in  
confusion. He knew that most of them were confused, but continued. "In the early life stages, meaning when the planet first  
began to come alive, our planet was inhabited by dragons, youkai, and humans. Humans with specially developed powers  
and telekenesis ended up as magi, sorcerers, or sorceresses while the normal ones lead their own separate lives as commoners,  
maids, servants, deputants, etc. They created cities of marvelous structure, looking a bit like a mix of the medieval age  
and Rome. Anyway, our world is protected by the protectors and workers of a legendary temple named Dragonn [purposely   
misspelled]. The main protectors of the world and Dragonn Temple were three armored dragons, a magi, and a sorceress, all  
of which were very powerful and were born with the will to protect and fight in their blood. The first dragon was a silver  
dragon, known as Kinzoku. She possessed the power pertaining to metal and the power to manipulate time without hesitation.  
It's human form was Korume Takeda, who is the descendant of her.   
  
"It's rather hard to explain, but all three of the dragons had human counterparts, who served as their human forms and   
soul-keepers. They kept themselves buried deep within the humans' spirits, and are called upon when youkai and youma are   
to be fought. The three humans have specific names, although none of which will be mentioned for now. Anyway, the second   
dragon is a gold dragon named Subara, also female, and her counterpart's name is Takaida Nakayama. She controls light and   
life, although she's not a healer. I must also mention that the human-forms and their dragon counterparts heal   
hundreds of times faster than regular humans, as do the magi and sorceress. The last dragon..well..he was different from   
the other two. His origin came from the power of a demon king who went by the name Youhshiro. Youhshiro wanted a dragon   
of his own to combat against those of Dragonn, so he used the energy inside of him to create a black dragon. For a while   
Youhshiro was beating the protectors of Dragonn, but the magi, seeing good within him, somehow helped to convert the black   
dragon to their side. Unfortunately, since Youhshiro was the one who created him, the black dragon remained youkai and   
dragon. The black dragon now resides under a girl who also seems to have the same qualities as him. They both control  
darkness, evil, and hatred. The girl, recieving the powers and responibilities of the dragon, has a final form, in which   
she controls the Gauntlet of Chiosu. The Gauntlet holds the power of Chaos within it's blade, which protrudes from the  
wrist of the gauntlet. You told me of your "war" with that being named Chaos, but in truth, Chaos was spawned from the  
Gauntlet."Ibaren said grimly. "Then there are the magi and sorceress. There were many magi and sorceresses and such, although  
the two that I speak of were the ones that were the most powerful of the Dragonn's defenses. The magi, he weilded a long,  
intricate staff, that had a long, thin blade, and had the power of blue fire. The sorceress was actually a ningyo, recieved  
her angel wings from Dragonn as a gift. She specialized in magic and sorcery, having a vast knowledge of all spells and  
most attacks. Both provided great guidance and proved to be great allies to the dragons. The magi also serves as a healer,  
and the sorceress as the curator of Dragonn."  
  
"So..the Gauntlet secures all evil?" Haruka said suddenly.  
  
Ibaren shook his head. "It holds back evil, not secures. The Gauntlet, if misused, can also release evil. It's a rather  
complex subject, the Gauntlet of Chiosu. You see, if the owner of the Gauntlet dies, chaos and all evil will be released."  
  
"Who's the girl that is the counterpart of the black dragon? You didn't state her name, nor the dragons." Setsuna inquired,  
cupping her left cheek with her tanned, slender hand. This was so confusing. If Dederi was never supposed to really be  
in the Silver Millenium, who would be the rightful Sailor Moon? Chibiusa was now in Hotaru's lap. She had been awake for  
quite a few minutes, although did not understand what everyone was so worked up about. "Also, you didn't state the magi's  
and the sorceress's name either."  
  
[They're not making this easy, are they?] Ibaren thought glumly. He wasn't sure whether or not he should say their names,  
and looked towards the direction of her emotionally-distressed comrad, who leaned against the leg of a nearby mobil suit.  
Dederi looked up to meet Ibaren's concerned gaze. Her face slightly grew pale as she nodded. She hugged herself, as if   
attempting to save herself from her own torment. Ibaren sighed sadly, and turned back towards the senshi and pilots.  
"I am the magi." He began slowly, and was about to go on when Minako and Duo interrupted.  
  
"But that would mean you're-" Minako and Duo gasped, wide-eyed.  
  
Ibaren nodded. "Yes, I was born at the beginning of my world's birth. Meaning, I'm quite old in the years." Everyone's  
jaw dropped. Ibaren laughed softly at their expressions, despite the serious situation at hand. "Now, if you'll let me  
continue..The sorceress's name is Hakai Saku. I think she'll make an appearance sooner or later. I'm not sure I can tell  
you of the black dragon and her counterpart. I need the proper consent."  
  
"From who?" Quatre asked solemnly.   
  
"From me." Dederi pushed off of the mobil suit and walked over, the heals of her boots clapping against the cold concrete.  
"I think the proper introduction is in order, don't you?" Dederi asked Nova and Ibaren, who just stared motionlessly.  
Dederi let the air escape her lungs and inhaled once more. "The girl's name..is Kuroi Abunai..and her counterpart spirit..  
is Dederi." Everyone's mouths gaped as they stared at the assassin who just stated what information they wanted to know.  
Dederi shook her head and stood next to Ibaren, who put his hand on her shoulder in response. Nova moved closer to them in  
acknowledgement. "I suppose you don't understand what I meant by that statement. Kuroi is my real name. My human name.  
Dederi is my counterpart's name. I used the name Dederi because my true identity was not to be known in other dimensions."  
She held out her left gloved hand in front of everyone else. It began to glow a dark, bloody red, but Ibaren put his right  
hand on her left and slowly pushed it down. The hand stopped glowing. Ibaren shook his head.   
  
*~Not now. The sky will darken when you call it forth. You will change.~* Ibaren said solemnly.  
Dederi looked away. *~You don't control me.~*  
*~Then why do you listen to me everytime I say something?~* Ibaren smiled.  
Dederi's cheek turned a faint red and crossed her arms. *~I do not.~*  
*~You realize that everyone's staring at you two.~* Nova's voice cut in mockingly. *~It's almost as if you're having a   
glaring contest.~*  
"Shut up!" Ibaren and Dederi retorted out loud at Nova. Ibaren jerked and looked towards the senshi and pilots. They were  
still standing/sitting there, mouths and eyes wide open. "Uh..."  
  
At that moment, the senshi and pilots all thought the same thought. [What the hell is going on?]  
  
Everyone suddenly heard a crash overhead. The inner senshi screamed as rubble, wood, and chunks of cement fall from the  
roof. Heero looked up and saw that there was a cloud of dust wafting down onto them, and that there was a decently large  
whole in the roof. Heero, Trowa, Dederi, Ibaren, Nova, Wufei, and Haruka looked up, squinting to find out what the hell  
was going on. As the slow descent of the dust particles soon ceased, and the cloud itself disappeared, everyone heard  
a series of ravenous laughs and growls. The pilots and assassins took out their handguns and began to aim for the open  
hole. Suddenly, a large, disgusting crimson creature poked it's head through the opening of the roof. Everyone wretched at  
the corrosive sight of the creature. It looked like a monster wearing shoji black armor. It had massive teeth and   
radioactive-colored green eyes, which glowed with a lust for blood and death. It's hands and feet were claws, as well,  
and it's "skin" looked to be of a tough hide in a clumpy lava red tint. It brandished a long sword, and the hilt looked  
to be carved of bone. It growled ferociously, globs of spit secreting from it's large teeth-filled mouth. Two other 'things'  
exactly like the first, were then seen at the east side of the hole. The first creature took its sword and raised it up,  
then brought it down in a single slicing motion. A large patch of the roof creaked and broke off from the structure and  
began to fall, debris flying everywhere. Ibaren and Nova, as well as the rest of the pilots and senshi, ran away from where  
the roof was going to crash. Dederi, though just stood there. She looked down at her feet. There was a dark red force  
field covering her ankles and feet, in the form of chains. She didn't scream though. Dederi, despite her calm disposition,   
struggled to get out of the red chain-field. [Shit.] The roof patch was directly above her.  
  
======  
AN: THAT WAS LOOONG!!!! Please review!!! I'd appreciate it!  
  
Email: ketsekiburade@hotmail.com 


	11. It's Been Four Years.

Lunar Succession  
  
Author: ~Heartless Spirit~  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own SM or GW. I DO own Dederi, so no stealin'! AND IBAREN TOO!!! NOVA BELONGS TO JESS-CHAN!!!  
(Youhko's my own character too, if you haven't realized that by now...)  
  
AN: Oi, minna! [Translation: Hey, Everyone!] I hope you liked ch.10..It was really long...writer's cramp..but I'm over  
my writer's block, which is a good thing..  
Anyone notice that I've added many of my own characters in this fic?! Well there's three more! Mua~ha~ha~ha! Only two  
make an appearance in this chapter, tho...  
BTW, I think some ppl are getting confused with some symbols, so here ya go:  
  
"..." = talking   
[...] = thinking  
~...~ = talking on the phone  
*~...~* = talking telepathically  
-...- = computer (i.e. email, chat, etc.)  
(...) = uh..me interrupting..lol  
  
======  
Lunar Succession  
======  
Chapter 11-It's Been Four Years.  
======  
  
Everything seemed to be in slow motion at this point. The screams of warning..the gust of debris winding around themselves  
on the hard concrete floor..everything. The large uneven block, which loomed over her, seemed to move slowly. She knew  
that she could not necessarily die from the weight and impact of the block, since she had youkai-dragon blood in her, but  
she couldn't seem to think straight. It almost seemed as if her brain had shut down. She didn't notice that she could have  
easily blasted the fallen roof into pieces. She merely closed her dark, shadowed eyes and waited for the jarring pain in   
her body to ensue.   
  
Dederi suddenly felt the wind get knocked out of her. Only, it came from her stomach. The pain..it wasn't in her head..  
[What the hell?] Dederi thought slowly opening her eyes. Her vision was hazy and everything was in a blur. She blinked  
slowly. Dederi then felt her senses come into focus. She was being carried by something..or someone. She looked up. The  
face she saw was hidden in a black hood. From the nearby sounds, it seemed he also wore a long cloak, which flapped as  
he ran. She then felt him come to a stop and turning around in the direction of the block, although not putting her  
down. She looked at the block. It looked as if it had imploded. Every part of the block either lay in dust or broken chunks.  
The smell of old building parts made Dederi cough. The person who carried her looked as if he was grinning. The person then  
looked up in the air, as did Dederi. There was another shadow, a slender figure, who seemed to float above the fallen  
creatures of demonic preportions. It seemed to be a teenager..the age of Dederi, perhaps. She had her arms crossed defiantly.  
The girl seemed to have one large odango at the back of her head, holding the majority of her black hair in place as the  
excess bangs framed her oval face and fair skin. Actually, as more of Dederi's vision focused, she found that the girl had  
white angel wings, although she still couldn't recognize the face. She sensed her aura, though. Suddenly, the girl's form  
seemed to dematterialize. All Dederi seemed to hear was, "I'll watch over you Kuro-chan." She then knew who it was.  
  
[Hakai.] It was the sorceress, Dederi realized. But what did Hakai have to do with the guy that carried her? Was he  
an ally?  
  
Suddenly, the young man who was carrying Dederi asked her gently, "Can you stand?"  
Dederi jerked her gaze abruptly back to the young man. She slowly nodded and he set her back on her feet. Dederi then looked  
at her 'savior'. His eyes were covered by the hood, and he wore a Rommefeller uniform of high rank. A black cloak attached  
to the hood as well. His hair could somewhat be seen, a color of dark black and two semi-thick bangs of his hair framed the  
sides of his hair as smaller bangs framed his forehead. He held out his hand, showing the white glove that covered it.  
The young man looked to show compassion in that gesture, that of which Dederi did not understand.  
"I suppose you don't remember me, Kuro-chan. It has been four years since we last met."  
  
Dederi crossed her arms. She merely stared at the guy's hooded gaze. Her dark-raven eyes seemed to bore into his soul,  
an angry yet calm expression on her face. She seemed to answer reluctantly, "Yukio..?" Her voice seemed to show suprise,  
for she had not expected to see him at all. Yes, it had been four years. But why would he save her now? Dederi saw  
him shift a little. She stopped glaring, and merely stood there. "Why'd you save me?" She heard a buzzing sound. Or rather,  
a snore-like growl, overhead. She and Yukio looked up simultaneously. "Youkai." Dederi held her left palm up towards  
the bloody, ravenous demon and shot a small pattern of energy spheres towards it. There were about six, as she counted.  
The spheres surrounded the infernal thing, and it seemed to writhe against the ceiling to move away from its impending  
death. The energy spheres glowed in a mysterious crimson, then exploded in fury. Smoke and debris from the nearby  
ceiling fell, the smell of it and the youkai didn't seem to choke the assassin, although the nearby magunacs and senshi,   
who had attempted to see if she was alive, seemed to choke and wretch. Dederi, ignoring the coughing noises around her,  
heard one simple, raspy message before the demon gave its final breath.   
  
"Master will avenge mee..."  
  
The demon then died. Dederi felt the blood of it fall from the cuts and onto her pale cheek. The blood was black.  
More black than the color of her own hair. It didn't bother her, though. She had seen this one before. That particular  
youkai kept being resurrected, each time being more of a nuisance than the last. It was like her own personal demon,  
ramming at her soul, tailing her until she reached a dead end to attack with the final blow. But, the thing was, the  
demon was never quite strong enough to cause her to reach that dead end, and for that single reason did Dederi not  
wretch at the touch of its blood. It never occured to her to negotiate nicely with others. She told herself to fight,  
to kill, to be emotionless. But that last part..that last part seemed to change. She had only told one person of this,  
and that one person was the cause of it. Before she had been advised to go to the Silver Millenium, Dederi had been  
neither, outgoing nor shy. It was an outer shell that she had created when she arrived, for she didn't want to get  
close to anyone, for she knew she would leave again for her birthplace once her task was complete. Alas, she had died  
during the war against the Negaverse, and was reborn on Earth, with the rest of the Lunarians. Miraculously, she  
remembered what her home dimension was and what her purpose was, although she didn't remember the senshi. Sure, past  
glimpses, but nothing more. And now, the right hand man of the one who killed her back then was back..but why did he  
save her?   
  
Dederi craned her head back towards where the young man next to her had stood, only to find that he was not there.  
[Yukio. You always leave without notice.] She gave way to a simple grin. [That's one of the only reasons I trust  
you, you know that, don't you? Even if I will destroy you.]  
  
Nova and Ibaren could sense Dederi's spirit amidst the rubble of the fallen roof, or rather, next to it. They saw  
who saved her, and how she annihilated the youkai from above, and were not happy. Well, they were happy about her  
killing the demon, but were not happy that HE had come. Ibaren walked up to her and spoke to her, as did Nova. They seemed  
to be warning Dederi of her rescuer. The senshi cautiously walked towards them, as did the pilots and magunacs, although  
were strangely unable to hear what they were talking about. Ibaren seemed to not move, and his mouth opened only a bit  
as he talked. Nova had her arms crossed, a scowling look on her face, seemed to be very very cross, causing Duo to  
shiver slightly. Suddenly, the three fell silent.   
  
"Hey Dede-chan, who was that guy?" Duo wondered, rubbing his chestnut hair with his hand in confusion.  
  
"No one." Nova answered curtly, ignoring the fact that he was asking her partner than her.  
  
Trowa concernedly put his hand on Dederi's shoulder, who jerked in suprise (ooc..). "Are you all right?"  
"Yeah, are you okay?" Chibiusa also asked, her cherry red eyes gleaming with worry.  
  
"I'm fine. Just fine." Dederi answered bluntly, but she knew she was hiding herself again. She knew she really wasn't fine.  
Dederi's original purpose had come back. Yukio had come back. Now, her thoughts were overwhelming her. She hadn't even  
been able to listen to a word Ibaren and Nova had just said to her. She held her head with both of her hands, her eyes  
looking down towards her blood-and-dust drenched boots. Dederi needed to think. She needed to get her head straight.  
Dederi's body turned a semi-transparent black, the general outline of her body remained. Her eyes glowed a dark, yet   
brightly shining, red. Ibaren turned towards her.   
  
His eyes seemed to shimmer with sadness for his friend. "You've made your decision, then?"  
  
The shadow did not respond, but instead began to "melt" onto the floor. It now seemed as if a semi-transparent puddle  
of black oil sat on the floor, although it continued to move, and the corrosive, sharp red eyes were still visible  
amongst the fallen shadow. Everyone, save Ibaren and Nova, staggered back, slightly afraid.   
  
"W..what happened to her?" Ami interrogated nervously, bending down to touch the shadow. Her finger merely grazed the  
blackness, and was met with a painful shock. Ami jerked in pain as the shadow emitted a dark red energy sphere, which  
began to float up her arm, causing bruises against Ami's delicate skin. Ibaren knelt next to the shadow and frowned.  
  
"Kuro-chan, stop it."   
  
The shadow looked as if it was shaking her head in a 'no' gesture. But, in its own dismay, the red sphere disintegrated  
from Ami's skin, leaving more than a few bruises on her. Ami stood up and stepped backwards, obviously terrified of the  
ominous shadow. Setsuna stared quizzically at the red eyes of the dark shadow. She thought carefully, then said, "Dederi?"  
  
"Mercury, you are very fortunate that Kuro-chan went easy on you. No one can touch her when she's in this form, otherwise  
they would be met with a dangerous attack. But, to be honest, only about four beings can touch her in this state. This  
is her shadow-form, obviously, and she is able to turn into this whenever she so desires to. It's a part of her blood."  
Ibaren explained slowly. He took Ami's bruised arm and trailed his finger along the burned parts, avoiding the open  
cuts which were bordered by them. He smirked. "Figures. Saturn, heal her wound." Hotaru nodded and knelt beside the  
princess of Mercury, putting her hands above her wounds. She slowly began to glow a mystical violet. Hotaru placed her  
violet-glowing hands onto Ami's wounds, causing Ami to gasp in slight pain. After a few moments of etherial silence,  
Hotaru slowly put up her hands. The opened wounds were gone, although there were scars, which Hotaru didn't understand.  
"My power should have eradicated all of the-"  
  
Ibaren interrupted the young healer. "All of the wounds? I think not. Your friend touched Dederi in her shadow-form. Dederi's  
youkai and dragon powers aren't just for show, you know." He paused suddenly, looking back at Ami's elevated hand,  
which bore four large scars. Each of the scars were red and slightly purple from the amount of blood vessels broken.  
It wasn't swollen, thanks to Hotaru, and there wasn't much sign of infection. "But don't worry. As I said, Mercury's  
fortunate for Dederi to have gone easy on her. Otherwise she'd be dead." At that statement, Ami's face went pale.   
She now feared Dederi more than ever before. "And I must warn you, even if this might be a little off-topic. You really  
shouldn't make bodily-contact with her unless she trusts you. Otherwise she'll either punch or kick you or use her ki  
shield to push you backwards into a wall or something nearby. Dederi might even send a ki blast at you if provoked enough."  
  
Makoto recalled what happened when they first arrived. [So that's how she pushed me back..I couldn't even hit her..]  
  
"But enough about that. I've got to go find my comrad before she slips into her depression and loses her identity." Ibaren's  
face looked worried as he began to walk through the rubble of the fallen roof. Nova followed, as did the rest of the  
group. But as they walked to the mansion itself, Trowa didn't understand a small detail.  
"What do you mean, loses her identity?"  
Nova answered the question in an instant. "Ibaren told you of Dederi and Kuroi. And you see, Kuroi is mostly the incarnation  
of Dederi, as explained. She has human emotions and looks, but if she is depressed enough or deep enough into her  
emotionless shell, she'll become just that; an emotionless shell. And if enough malice is in her soul as well, she'll  
become what we fear the most, that of which must not be mentioned." Trowa wanted to ask what was it that they feared, but  
from the scared looks in Nova's violet eyes, decided to leave it be.  
  
The group entered the mansion shortly, each having quite a bit on their mind. Their thoughts remained mostly either on  
Dederi's shadow-form, or, according to Trowa, the Outers, Makoto, and Rei, the thing that Ibaren and Nova seemed to fear.  
Setsuna and the other senshi sat on the beige couches in the living room. Michiru put her hand to her delicate cheek,   
distain on her face as well as worry. "I don't understand it."  
"What?" Minako asked.  
Michiru shook her head in confusion, her aquamarine tresses shifting slightly. "I don't understand how Dederi can be  
our future Neo Queen of the Silver Millenium. I mean, she's not even really a part of our dimension, so how can she?"  
"Setsuna? Do you think we could see how Dederi came into our past?" Hotaru asked in a weak voice.  
"I'm not sure Dederi would like it, but I'll try." Setsuna replied cautiously as the Time Key appeared in her hand.  
She pointed the Garnet Orb towards the fine oak table in the center of the beige couches slowly. A small portal opened,  
one of dark red, bright gold and silver. It was about the size of a standard vanity mirror as it shaped itself into an  
oval. The senshi looked into the portal, like Setsuna, and saw darkness. It was completely pitch black. And just as the  
senshi looked further into the portal, Setsuna called it back. The portal dematterialized, as did the silver and garnet  
Time Key.   
"Why'd you close it?" Haruka asked suprisedly.  
Setsuna opened her eyes, which gleamed with anxiety. "I can't do it. There seems to be a sort of shield or something  
that prevents me from pressing further. And if I had attempted to break that shield, I don't know what it would effect."  
"So there's nothing you can do?" Makoto wondered.  
Setsuna shook her head. "Nothing. Unless I plan to risk it and break the shield, but again, I don't know what problem it  
could cause if I break a shield of another dimension."  
Rei wanted to know badly how she got into their dimension (oh boy..). "But what if-"  
"Rei, I just told you. I'm not going to risk putting other dimensions on the line to just view ONE point in another's  
history!" At that outburst, Rei slumped down in her part of the couch.   
  
[Damnit. Damn Dederi. Damn it!]   
  
Trowa spent his time looking for Dederi. He walked very casual when he walked around the mansion, but in his mind it was  
quite the opposite. His thoughts sped around his mind a hundred-fold as he turned the corner into the bedrooms corridor.  
[Where is she?] He thought to himself frantically as he closed Dederi's bedroom door, the brass metal 'clicking' shut  
as he released the knob. The Latin pilot walked further down the hallway. He suddenly felt himself drawn to the door of  
his room. [I wonder if...] His tan hand put itself on the brass doorknob, the cherrywood door it was connected to began to  
creak. He peered inside the small crack that he had opened. Trowa looked on as he watched Ibaren and Dederi talk.  
Dederi seemed to look down at the clean cabernet carpet which floored the room, her face completely blank. Ibaren  
has his arms folded as he looked at his comrad, and seemed to be calmly comforting her.  
"What are you waiting for?" A feminine voice behind Trowa asked abruptly.  
Trowa jumped slightly as he looked behind him. It was Dederi's partner, Nova. "What are you talking about?" He answered  
her question with his own. Nova rolled her eyes.  
"Oh come on. She needs you right now and all you do is watch."  
"But how did-"  
"Listen, unibang," the blond-highlighted girl lectured, "I've been her partner for quite some time. I find out these things  
without her knowing. Her change in behavior's quite obvious. I'm not some dumb blonde, you know. My partner's been more  
cheerful lately. It's been about five years since I've seen her even slightly happy, and she acting this 'comfortable' in  
a dimension she doesn't necessarily know is very suprising for a person like her! Now GO IN THERE OR OMAE O KOROSU!"  
Trowa was baffled, but opened the door and went in, leaving a satisfied Nova.  
  
Ibaren looked up when he heard the door creak. He smiled. [Just the person she needs.] Ibaren turned back to his moping  
friend, who still sat on the floor with a bland look on her solemn face. He stood up then, and walked over to the door to  
leave, but before leaving he stopped beside Trowa. (You know the things that anime does when two people talk and everything  
around them freezes and turns a different color? That's what's happening.) "If you ever hurt her I'll destroy you." With  
that, and leaving Trowa in a state of suprise, he left the room, followed by Nova.   
[How the hell do these people know?!] He thought. Trowa blinked, clearing his head slowly. [I can think about that later.  
Dederi's more important right now..]  
Trowa walked over to the brooding teenager and sat down next to her. "You alright, Dede-chan?"  
Dederi continued to look at the cabernet. Her answer was monotone. It seemed more like a whisper though. "Hasn't this   
happened before?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Dederi said sadly, "This. Me being so weak...vulnerable to anyone who comes near me..." She looked at her gloved  
hands hopelessly. "God, I've grown weak.." Trowa's eyes shimmered with worry. Her depression had gotten worse. She's so  
used to strength and heartlessness that she must have not known anything about happiness and hope.   
Trowa put his arm around her slowly and pulled her to him. He felt her steady breathing as she leaned on him. "Dede-chan..  
You're not weak.." Trowa kissed her hair, ignoring the smell of blood making its way into his lungs. "You're one of the   
strongest people I've ever known and will stay one of the strongest." He knew how she felt, feeling weak..that he was  
useless..only for a single purpose..but only to find that he failed.   
Dederi closed her eyes. "That's not true.." She didn't seem to cry this time as she leaned on one of the only people that  
actually made her feel somewhat special. It was the second time..wasn't it? The second time in this dimension that she  
felt vulnerable to her own feelings and strengths. But...she didn't understand another thing...how...  
"How can you care for someone so weak as me..?" Dederi asked slowly. [If he cares at all..]  
Trowa was taken aback by that question. "..Because..I can't explain it..I just feel drawn to you..you're just so different  
from all the other girls I've been an acquaintance with..." By that time, Dederi looked at him..no, STARED at him. She  
had a rather suprised look on her face. Apparently she had not expected that sort of answer. Trowa blushed slightly  
under Dederi's entrancing gaze. He involuntarily held out his right hand and tilted Dederi's face up towards him.  
"Dederi, I can't necessarily tell you my exact answer. But, I can tell you that I'll always be by your side, no matter  
what obstacle comes between us."  
A warm feeling swept over her heart suddenly, as if she had just begun to live. She had this feeling once before, didn't  
she? "Trowa..." She was at a complete loss of words. The assassin hadn't understood human emotions, but, as if by  
miracle, she seemed to understand them more as Trowa suddenly encased her in a comforting hug. She could do nothing,  
but melt into his warm embrace. She leaned onto his broad, muscular chest, and closed her eyes. [I understand a little,  
I think..but why do I feel so happy being embraced by him? Why does my heart seem to beat faster when he's close?]  
  
"Trowa..." Dederi said softly. She no longer had depression, or at the very most, had gotten rid of most of it. "Thank  
you." Trowa did nothing but smile contently. He used his left hand to brush her bangs away from her face for a moment.  
[God, she's beautiful. Dederi, I'll never let anyone hurt you again.]  
  
Nova walked down the stairs alongside Ibaren, causing attention to come to them, mainly from the senshi. Ibaren stared  
at the wall next to him, oblivious to the other stares which were directed at him. Nova rolled her eyes at the senshi.  
They could just be so stupid at times.   
  
"Is Dederi all right?" Setsuna questioned hesitantly. It seemed that she was the one who felt the most "frazzled" and  
overwhelmed by everything that had been explained to her.  
  
Ibaren nodded. "She'll be fine." *~Nova.~*  
  
*~Hmm?~*  
  
*~What do you plan to do when everything's over?~* He asked.  
  
Nova shrugged. *~I don't know. If I must, I will go back to the Silver Millenium..~*  
  
*And of your future pertaining to your infatuatio-~*  
  
A certain bell, or ringing noise, interrupted Ibaren. The ringing sound was indistinct, but not so much that you couldn't  
hear it at all. Quatre dug into his pocket suddenly, and rummaged through it until he pulled out a small cellular phone.  
He flipped the phone open and put it to his ear. Quatre began to talk slowly into the phone, answering whoever was on the  
other line. He then nodded, and pressed the "end" button on his phone. Quatre put the phone back into his tan khaki pocket,  
then sighed.  
  
"Yo, Q-man, what's up?" Duo asked, concerned.  
"One of my associates just called..you know the Peacecraft Square down near the church, right?"  
"Yeah..why?"  
"Well, my associate from a music company just called and asked if I could come and play at their outdoor dance party  
tonight at Peacecraft Square.."  
  
Minako interrupted. "Then go, Quatre."  
  
"But what about-"  
  
"It's important, isn't it?" Minako asked. She saw Quatre nod. "Then go. It's okay, Quatre. Besides, I can tell that  
everyone here needs a break from battles and stuff, am I right?" The Venusian turned to her friends, senshi and pilots  
alike, who all reluctantly nodded. She knew that the current situation concering Youhko and Rommefeller was of the utmost  
importance, but she felt that everyone needed a break from being completely serious. She looked at everyone's distraught  
faces, as well as a few tired ones, and smiled as she turned back to Quatre. "Just go, okay? Besides, we'll all come with  
you."  
  
Quatre couldn't seem to compete with the cheery expression in Minako's blue eyes as he defeatedly nodded in reluctant  
agreement. "All right, if you really want me to."  
  
"Then it's settled! Now, everyone go upstairs and get ready!" She jumped up from her seat cheerfully.  
  
Haruka, Nova, and Ibaren rolled their eyes at the girl's folly. [This isn't a time for breaks. Oh well, maybe with  
our minds loosened up maybe we'll have a chance at thinking straight rather than being stressed.]  
  
"Should I tell Dederi, or you?" Nova asked Ibaren as everyone sweatdropped from Minako's hyper disposition.  
  
Chibiusa turned and looked at Nova. "I'll go!" Before Nova could say more, the little sugar-pink-haired girl had jumped  
up from Hotaru's lap and already began to go up the mahogany stairs. She sprinted up the steps and ran into the hallway  
in front of it, which was the bedroom corridor.  
  
[What a kid.] Nova thought as she looked at the fleeting form.  
  
Chibiusa reached for the brass doorknob on the cherrywood door that connected the corridor to Dederi's quarters. She  
peered inside. [There she is.] She giggled rather loudly then, causing Dederi to look up from her warm embrace with the  
Latin pilot. Chibiusa covered her mouth suddenly, then knocked on the door, attempting to fool Dederi into thinking  
that she had just gotten there. Dederi smirked at the little girl's attempt.  
Trowa turned around. "Chibiusa?"  
  
The little girl laughed and walked in, freeing the brass doorknob of her small hand. "Konichiwa!" She greeted cheerfully.  
"I'm not interrupting anything am I?"  
  
Trowa shook his head, blushing. "No.."  
  
"Okay, good! 'Cause I came up here to tell ya' that everyone's going to Quatre's performance tonight and that everyone has  
to go!" Chibiusa jumped onto Dederi's lap. "So you're going..right?"  
  
"Chibiusa..what you say seems like fun, but.."  
  
"Please?" Chibiusa began to use her puppy dog eyes.  
  
"Chibiusa, puppy dog eyes don't work on me.."  
  
Chibiusa sighed. "Then come for me then!"  
  
Dederi blinked. [For..her..?] "Uh..."  
  
Trowa laughed inwardly at Chibiusa's antics. He stood up, then, and made his way slowly to the door. "I'll leave this up to  
you two." After chuckling once more, he left the two girls.   
  
Dederi sighed in defeat. "If Trowa's going, I suppose I'll go. Besides, maybe I'll have fun."  
  
Chibiusa bounced up and down, imitating Minako. "Yay! You're going!"  
  
"Let me ask you one question, Chibiusa." Chibiusa froze at Dederi's tone of voice. The little girl had heard a grim-tone  
in her voice.  
  
"W..w-what?"  
  
Dederi laughed at the smaller girl's expression. "I don't have to dress up, do I?"  
  
Chibiusa face-faulted. When she got back up, she said, "Don't scare me like that..I think it's semi-formal." At that,  
Dederi sweatdropped.  
  
"I'm not getting into a dress again. NO WAY."  
  
(Time Change: Thirty Minutes Later)  
  
"I CAN'T believe I'm getting into a dress again." Dederi grumbled as she looked at the tall mirror in front of her. She  
had previously refused to wear a dress to whatever place they were going to, but the little pink-haired girl had other  
plans.   
"Turn around one more time." The girl instructed, smiling warmly at her tall, scowling friend. Dederi did as Chibiusa  
told her to, although not understanding why she was taking such orders from someone who was related to Serenity-baka.  
She didn't understand at all why she even cared about the girl. Dederi could have killed her right now and no one would  
have noticed until it was too late..but she didn't.  
  
Chibiusa giggled. "You look so pretty, Dede-chan." Dederi blushed then. Chibiusa had managed, after a large dispute, to  
convince Dederi into getting into the dress. It was a plain white semi-formal dress that reached one and a half inches  
above her knees and was sleeveless. The straps which were delicately supported by her shoulder were thick straps, and the  
'neckline' was square-cut. Dederi also wore white high heels, which were also held by thin straps (Think of Sailor Venus's  
shoes). Chibiusa wore a white pleated skirt, which reached her knees, and a spring pink sweater with a collar. She  
also donned white rubber shoes with pink stripes, which fit comfortably on her feet.  
  
"Then you must be blind." Dederi answered, closing her eyes.  
  
"She's not blind, you really do look nice, Dederi." Makoto cut in. Dederi grumbled as she remembered that Chibiusa had   
called the Jovian in a few minutes ago. Makoto was wearing a dark brown floral print dress which reached down to her  
upper shin. The short sleeves were semi-transparent, woven in a tint of forest green, and the straps that were visible  
through the sleeves were white. The Jovian teenager also wore dark brown high heels, which went well with her lightly  
tanned skin. "You should learn to take compliments."  
  
"Can we just get this over with?" Dederi retorted, still refusing to take compliments. "Where did you get these clothes  
anyway?"  
  
"Quatre said that we could use his sisters' clothes." Makoto answered simply.  
  
A voice from downstairs cut through. "Hey, you girls ready or what?!" It was Duo. And, by the sound of it, he was getting  
rather impatient. Strange. It was usually Wufei who yelled and raved about.  
"Yeah yeah, we're coming!" Makoto yelled. "Come on, let's go." Makoto raced out the room and down the stairs.  
  
"Do I really have to?" Dederi asked the little girl who began to walk out of Trowa's room.  
  
"Yup!" Chibiusa grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room.  
  
[Just great.] Dederi thought grumpily as she was being dragged along. [I'm being pulled around by a little kid!]  
  
"Where is Dederi?" Ibaren asked worriedly. *~You didn't do anything did you?~* He thought to Trowa. Trowa jerked in  
response, and shook his head slowly, so that no one would notice. Ibaren didn't seem to be convinced. He narrowed her  
eyes at the Latin teenager, causing him to shake his head more fervently.  
  
"Oh, she'll come down." Makoto said happily. Everyone blinked in confusion.  
  
Ibaren's face turned into a '-__-;'. "You made her wear a dress..didn't you?"  
  
Makoto stayed silent. She then turned to the top of the mahogany stairs. Chibiusa was coming downstairs with Dederi in  
tow. Everyone gaped (AN: AAH! Deja vu..) at the sight of Dederi..and her dress. Chibiusa finally let go of the aggravated  
assassin and ran down the stairs to Hotaru, who's violet eyes were still wide.  
  
Ibaren stopped staring as he grinned and walked to the stairs, crossing his arms and leaning on the mahogany post.  
He wore a dark blue, cotton, long-sleeved shirt (AN: You know those fancy shirts executive people wear to meetings?   
That sorta thing..) and black pants. He also wore black leather shoes and a plain black belt with a gold-colored buckle.  
His unruly black hair was as usual. "Well, don't you look nice."  
  
"Shut up, Ibaren. I was forced." Dederi crossed her arms (AN: She does that a lot doesn't she?) as she walked down towards  
him.   
  
"You know, you never snapped at me this much before." Ibaren groaned at the amount of spite that his friend was showing.   
"Besides, I've seen you in a dress more times than I can count even IF you hate wearing them. Remember that time at that  
bar when you wore that black dress? The guys were drooling all over you the whole night."  
  
Dederi looked at her spiky-haired companion and blushed. "Anata fakku! They were not!"  
"Sorry, I only see you as a friend." Ibaren sneered. Dederi glared.  
Quatre looked at his watch. "Uh, we'd better get going. My associate isn't very patient."   
  
(AN: I'm not going to explain what the GW pilots and what the other senshi wore, so I'll just use these pics:  
GW-- http://www.geocities.com/dragonsbane013/gw_trenchcoats.jpg  
SM-- http://www.geocities.com/dragonsbane013/senshipic.jpg --just ignore Usagi and Chibiusa)  
  
The whole group then nodded and filed out of the beautifully adorned Winner Mansion. Everyone saw a long jet black  
stretch limo parked right near the steps. Minako happily *jumped* into the car and moved towards the front, since the  
entrance into the limo was located at the back. The others soon followed suit. Duo and Nova, Heero, Wufei, Quatre, the  
inners, and the outers. Chibiusa was seated on Setsuna's lap, happily looking at the in-car lights and overhead buttons.  
She pressed one, and caused the tv near the wine and soda bar to turn on. It was turned to MTV. Minako and Rei giggled  
as they watched the music video of "Get This Party Started" by Pink begin. The only ones that were left were Ibaren,  
Dederi, and Trowa. Ibaren slightly nudged the Latin pilot as he got in, since Trowa was the one who was holding the  
door open. Trowa looked at him questioningly. Ibaren seemed to grin and motioned to Dederi, who was looking upwards towards  
the sky. Trowa blushed. Ibaren chuckled and got inside the limo. Dederi sighed and began to get in. She noticed Trowa's  
intense blush. Trowa noticed her gaze and looked away, embarrassed. Dederi went up to his ear and whispered (should I saw  
seductively?), "Like what you see?"  
  
Trowa blushed even more. Dederi laughed and got in. Trowa, obviously nervous, got in.  
  
"So, Qua-chan, what type of music is gonna be played where we're going?" Minako questioned excitedly as the limo pulled  
out of the estate onto the public streets.   
"Well, there's a schedule. The first hour deals with fast-paced dance music, pertaining the the culture of Cuba or Spain,  
I think. And the second hour is mixed with mellow and upbeat music. That's what my associate told me over the phone,   
anyway. I'll be playing in both hours, in fifteen minute intervals."  
"Wow.." Minako marveled at Quatre's presence. Quatre blushed. Minako, otherwise, had stars in her eyes. Literally.  
  
(AN: btw, I'm going to continue this even if it's already been LOOONG, so when you review please tell me whether the   
chapters should be longer or if I should break the chapters into more parts. NOW KEEP READING.)  
  
The rest of the limo trip was rather smooth. They finally arrived at the Peacecraft Square. Everyone slowly stepped out  
of the limo, one by one, and looked in awe at their current location. Indeed, it was a 'square'. There were large park  
lights surrounding the whole square. All of the large park lights were all connected with a huge circular net of small  
yellow lights. The net of lights, which under the sky looked like a bunch of fireflies, covered the whole square. In  
the center of the net of lights, as well as the square, was the outdoor ballroom. Well, it looked more like a really  
large gazebo without railings made of marble and white stone with a wooden dance floor, really, but it was breathtaking   
nonetheless. The outdoor ballroom was supported by large Roman-style pillars made of white marble, and they seemed   
to glitter when hit with the lights of the park lights. Surrounding the outdoor ballroom were many circular  
-white tables, with white floral-designed chairs with peach cushions. The whole square was surrounded not only by   
lights, but also with a black metal railing, intertwined with surrounding rose bushes of all colors imaginable.   
The area surrounding the Peacecraft Square consisted of brick buildings. One was a church and the others were mostly   
stores; candy shops, dress shops, shoemakers, fruits, all of that and more. Even Dederi was taken aback by the beauty   
of the place. Everyone looked back towards the entrance of the square, which looked like a wire arc with leaves intertwined  
around it, and noticed that there was a wooden podium there as well, along with a man that stood promptly behind it.  
  
"Ah, Mr. Winner. I see you have brought friends to the party." the man stated as he took out a log book from the lower  
compartment of the podium.  
"Yes." The platinum-haired pilot replied simply. "Would it be possible to get tables nearest to the outdoor ballroom?"  
"Of course, Mr. Winner. Whatever you'd like." The man snapped his fingers, and a few moments later a waiter walked over  
from nearby. "Lead Mr. Winner and his friends to the tables closest to the ballroom." The waiter nodded.  
  
"Follow me please."  
  
======  
AN: HIII! SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG! FF.net was being crappy, as you all know. Well, at least it's fixed now, ne? See you   
in the next chapter. BTW, IF I GET FIVE OR MORE REVIEWS I'LL HAVE THE NEXT CHAPTER OUT VERY SOON! [It's already finished.  
I just need reviews.]  
  
Email: ketsekiburade@hotmail.com 


	12. A Birthday To Remember

Lunar Succession  
  
Author: ~Heartless Spirit~  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own SM or GW. I DO own Dederi, so no stealin'! AND IBAREN TOO!!! NOVA BELONGS TO JESS-CHAN!!!  
(Youhko's my own character too, if you haven't realized that by now...) BTW, HAKAI BELONGS TO DIANE, MY TALENTED COUSIN.  
If you want to read Diane's fics, her pen name on ff.net is SNAPdragon! All other villains are mine as well..yes, it is  
a lot of characters. DEAL WITH IT.  
  
AN: Oi, minna! [Translation: Hey, Everyone!] Just to tell you, if you really haven't noticed, I've decided to make my  
chapters longer, because I don't want a fanfiction with 40-something chapters. But don't worry, those of you who actually  
enjoy reading this fic, because there will be a sequel to Lunar Succession. COUNT ON IT. And for those of you who read  
this fic but don't like it or don't review, please tell me of ways you think would improve this fic and PLEASE REVIEW.  
Otherwise I won't be posting for another year or so... [exaggerating 'year' thing but still..please review.] I'm feeling  
discouraged...my mind is screaming 'What do these readers think of my fic?! Is it too...OUT THERE for them?!?'  
  
(Note: #...# = Memories or Visions)  
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Lunar Succession  
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Chapter 12-A Birthday To Remember  
======  
  
It had been about ten minutes since they had arrived at Peacecraft Square. The pilots, senshi, Ibaren, Nova, and Dederi  
watched blissfully as dozens of people danced lively about the large dance floor next to them. Even the fireflies, which  
flew quietly above the large net of small lights, seemed to dance around in musical bliss. It was a perfect night to   
be out. The sky was miraculously clear, a dark, relaxing shade of royal blue, and the stars looked to be diamonds,  
shimmering etherially with a mysterious firefly-like glow.   
  
Everyone, pilots, senshi, Ibaren, Dederi, and Nova, was seated at the two white tables closest to the outdoor gazebo-like  
ballroom. The tables were rather large, so there was enough space for everyone to be seated. In one table, there were  
the gundam pilots, Ibaren, Minako, Ami, and Rei. At the other table Dederi, Nova, Setsuna, Haruka, Michiru, Chibiusa,  
Hotaru, and Makoto. Quatre, though, had set off for the bandstands a few minutes ago, his violin case in hand.  
The waiter, after visiting other nearby tables, finally came to them, holding a white restaurant notepad and a black  
pen with the Peacecraft Square's insignia. He had on, like the other workers, a pressed, white cotton shirt, black  
pants, and a dark blue vest, along with a black ribbon on his collar. "Can I get you something to drink?"  
"Iced tea, please." A few said, holding up their menus to look at the fine selection of dishes and delicacies.  
"Just water, thanks."  
"I'll have some English tea."  
"Water, if I may."  
  
After jotting down numerous orders from the group, the busybody waiter turned to the last person to take her order.  
"And what will you have, miss?"  
"Shochu, onegai."  
The waiter jot down the order of the black-haired teenager, although decided to warn her of the decision she had just  
made. "I must warn you, miss, that shochu is a rather strong drink and I don't think someone of your-"  
"I've drank shochu before. I'm not so easily wavered." Dederi closed her eyes and crossed her arms defiantly, her dark  
hair wafting in the evening breeze.  
The waiter's voice seemed to waver. "Alright ma'am." As he walked away, Dederi heard him make a remark, which sort of  
puzzled Dederi. "Strange..this is the second time I've been ordered to get that drink..No one in Sanq would drink such  
a drink.."  
Well, Dederi thought about what the departing waiter had just murmured, and she agreed. [That's true..normally Sanq  
Kingdom's pacifists would be against alchohol..so why would..] Her contemplation was suddenly interrupted by the Jovian,  
who had a really stupid question to ask.  
"Dederi? What's a shochu?"  
[Stupid!] "A shochu is a very powerful colorless spirit." Seeing Makoto still confused, she sighed again. "A highly   
alchoholic drink, in lamen's terms."  
"But aren't you a minor?" Ami asked.  
"Don't mind Dederi, Mercury. She almost always drinks alchohol. Dederi has a strange inability to get drunk." Nova  
chided.  
  
"I drink what I like." She said in an aggravated tone. After the health lecture from the Mercurian, everyone settled  
into their own conversations. Most of which pertained to what to eat or how wonderfully decorated the Square was.  
Dederi though, was lost in her own thought. In the Tsurideragon dimension, she _was_ considerate to other people,   
although kept a significant amount of social distance away from most people other than her friends. It was then that,  
she realized, she really did miss her comrads from her home dimension. She missed how they would go to teenage clubs  
and hang out, how her male friends always got into trouble and she and her other friends would have to get them out  
of it. Sure, her friends got into trouble quite often, but not being able to keep in contact with her friends for  
over four years caused a slight sense of homesickness in her. She knew that Nova, despite her high attaction to the  
osage-baka, and Ibaren felt the same way. She also felt quite bored. There was nothing to do except sit around, wait  
for the drinks and then order some food, some of the senshi would probably dance, then they'd all go home. She even  
kept wondering how the little pink-haired girl managed to convince her to come along, in a dress, much to Dederi's  
hate for them.   
  
[I wonder what they're doing now..probably having fun, no doubt.] She wondered as she sighed softly. [Unlike me.  
I wish something interesting would happen. For kami-sama's sake, isn't there anything to do in this forsaken place?]  
  
And, by the heaven's crude sense of irony, Dederi got her prayers answered.  
  
"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEROOO!!!" A high-pitched female voice yelled towards their tables.   
Dederi growled. [Aw, shit. How ironic. I want something interesting to happen, and this is what I get. The fake   
sovreign of the Peacecraft Monarchy.] Yes, folks, it was Relena Peacecraft. The 'high and mighty' princess of  
Earth had donned her white and purple Sanq Kingdom business uniform (AN: Endless Waltz) and had just glomped Heero  
Yuy, Dederi's rival for the true title of Perfect Soldier. "Oh Heero, why didn't you visit me in the hospital?" She  
asked with a sickeningly sweet voice. "That terrible assassin had shot me. Did you manage to get him? I wouldn't  
want some kamikaze mercenary running around Sanq."  
  
Dederi couldn't help but mutter under her breath. "Bakarayo. What a clueless human."  
  
Relena, with her large ego slightly wavered, heard the remark that the female assassin just said. "You should pay  
sympathy to someone who was just shot. It isn't nice to make remarks like that." Everyone knew that Relena didn't   
understand what 'bakarayo' meant, and all chuckled inwardly as she attempted to actually look intelligent. "You  
seem to act strong, you hussy, but I know that you're actually just a weakling. Your character is weak as well  
as your strength!" She said triumphanty, causing Dederi to scowl and was about to stand up when Nova shook her head,  
pushing her back down. Relena growled and continued. "I, for one, am stronger. My sense of pacifism shall always prevail  
over the weakminded and war-driven. I am physically strong, for I have healed from my shot wound a mere two weeks after  
I was attacked!"  
  
"Oh?" Dederi mocked, with a vicious grin replacing her expression of malice. "And how exactly did you get shot,  
Peacecraft? I didn't see anything in the newspaper, nor the internet. Could you just be attempting to get sympathy  
for your own ego?" Dederi grinned even more when she saw that Relena's face was beginning to turn red. "And by the way,  
I've been shot numerous times since I've been in Sanq. It only takes me a few minutes to recover from such a wound, pain  
permitting."  
  
Relena growled as she tightened her fist, and turned to Heero. "Heero, are you just going to let her treat me like that?!"  
  
Heero did nothing but shrugg. "..."  
  
"HEERO..!" She said his name angrily. [What's wrong with Heero?!] "HEERO, reprimand that girl!"  
  
"..."  
  
She growled (again?) and looked at Heero with intense eyes. [Doesn't he love me?! How can I get his attention?!] She  
scanned the area, acknowledging her surroundings and the people as well. [What can I do...what can I do..I know!] Her  
usually dimwitted pacifist brain actually came up with something devious. [If I get myself to kiss another guy, Heero  
will definitely react!] She used her pale blue eyes to look for any unsuspecting male who wouldn't mind getting kissed  
by 'the most beautiful girl in all of Sanq' (AN: In Relena-baka's dreams! AARGH!). She turned to the second closest  
handsome guy next to her. Trowa Barton.  
  
[Bingo. He may not be as handsome as Heero, but he'll have to do.] Relena gulped as she hopped off from Heero's lap and  
slowly stood next to Trowa, who idly sat in his own cushioned seat a few inches away. [This will work..this will work..  
I WILL get Heero's attention!]   
  
(AN: -_-; You keep telling yourself that, Relena-baka..)  
  
Relena placed her thin hands on Trowa's shoulders, causing the Latin pilot to look at her in confusion. Relena gulped  
and put her face in front of Trowa's. She felt like she was betraying Heero, and her stomach suddenly felt weak as she  
closed the space between her and the silent pilot. Then..full contact.  
  
Trowa was in shock as Relena's lips were pushed onto his. [What the..] Although, suprising himself, he was too shocked  
to actually move. Trowa hoped that he would quickly get back his sanity and push her off him, but to no avail. Relena,  
to her own suprise, was actually enjoying her fake kiss, seeing that it really WAS her first kiss. She let a moan  
escape her mouth as she deepened the kiss, causing everyone to hang their mouths open even further.  
  
Heero made no move to pry the two away from each other. He didn't like Relena one bit, and he knew that Trowa was  
definitely much stronger than the 'princess of Earth'. Trowa could just push her off without any exertion. He merely  
crossed his arms and looked blankly in front of him. His eyes, though, unconsciously wandered to the girl wearing  
the floral print dress. He chuckled inwardly as he looked at her emerald-eyed look of shock as she watched Relena  
push herself against Trowa. Her dark almond brown hair wafted carelessly behind her, moving to the motion of the  
evening breeze. [She really is cute..] He thought, then cursed himself. This was the same thing he had thought of  
when he first looked at Dederi, although his 'crush' of her had evaporated since. [Makoto..]  
  
Ibaren looked at the awkward spectacle across from him. [How fickle human emotions can be. Dederi's anger will prevail,  
for that I am sure. I wonder how she is taking this..] His eyes wandered to the table at the right of him. He looked  
to the seat which had contained Dederi, only to find that her form was not there. [She disappears once again.] He sighed.  
[Kami-sama, why do you torment her soul so much?] He cursed the heavens above him. [Even if she is not of pure blood,  
you have no right to torment my friend so. Is this a part of your ultimate plan to bring about peace? For it does not  
bode well with me. Nor does it with Seito.] He then looked to his comrad, Nova, and found that he had been right. She  
also looked to be cursing the heavens for their cruel judgement of fate.  
  
Dederi now leaned on the railing of the small, white wood gazebo, on the other side of the outdoor ballroom and across  
where everyone else sat. The smell of the large orange trees surrounding the gazebo didn't seem to help her find comfort,  
for the smell of them intoxicated her. After seeing the blond idiot kiss Trowa, she had stood up and walked slowly to  
the gazebo across from where she sat. She looked out the white arch, which served as the door, and saw that she was  
far away from them. And that Trowa and Relena still kissed. She walked over to the far railing of the gazebo and sat  
down on it, not caring if her stupid white dress got torn or not. Dederi looked up at the moon, and realized that  
tears had begun to roll down her cheeks. [Damnit. I've never cried this much when I was home.] She even got more   
homesick. [I'm a fool. I'm a fool to think that someone could ever care for me..A fool. Who cares about that baka anyway..]  
She was fooling herself once more. Dederi had once promised herself that she would never display any human emotion ever  
again. Unfortunately, she broke that self-promise. Dederi choked back a sob as crystalline tears continued to cascade  
down her pale, smooth cheek and onto the moonlight-white fabric of her dress.  
  
"Alone again?" A calm, masculine voice chided.  
  
Dederi's dark eyes widened as she turned around. "Yukio, damnit what the hell are you doing here?!" [He's here to make  
it worse, I bet. Well, damnit! Who cares!] Her fists shook as she stood up, not bothering to wipe her tears from her  
eyes and cheeks.   
  
Yukio's sterile ice blue eyes softened at the sight of Dederi's emotionally shaken form. He didn't know that she had been  
crying. "Kuroi..." He walked towards her and put his pale hand to her cheeks, wiping the tears from each of her  
eyes. "Your eyes..they are filled with sorrow..it is not like you, tenshi.." Dederi's eyes widened once again. She ceased  
crying, even if she didn't mean to when she began. Yukio's face was filled with concern. "What's wrong, Kuro-chan..?"  
  
"What are you doing here.." She began, her normally calm voice trembling with anger and anxiety.  
  
Yukio, for the evening, had worn a black-silk dress shirt and black jeans, along with black leather shoes. It was  
just like a demon to wear completely black, so Dederi wasn't so suprised. Yukio answered her question with a reply that  
caused Dederi to stare through her tear-stained eyes. "I came to give you your birthday present."  
  
"W..what?" She said with a strange, weak voice.  
  
Yukio smiled. "In this dimension, tonight is the night of your birthday, November 13." Dederi realized that Yukio had  
his left hand behind him the whole time. He pulled his hand out and showed her a small box wrapped in black tissue  
paper, and a dark red ribbon tied the package together. "Here.." He held it out to her. Dederi looked into his mirth-filled  
eyes. She saw that it wasn't a trick. Dederi slowly took the package.  
  
"Go ahead and open it.." He encouraged, keeping his kind smile on his face.  
  
Dederi nodded and pulled the long end of the ribbon. As the ribbon unfurled, so did the tissue paper. It was like a newly  
budded flower. And that's what it looked like. The black tissue paper looked like the petals of a rose, and the scarlet  
ribbon looked to be the leaves. There was the small box in the center. She pulled off the lid. "Yukio..." She dropped the  
white cardboard lid and took out her actual present. It was a necklace. The chain was made from a demonic metal, and it  
had the color of black and silver. The metal was called Demovalra, which was created when mixing the blood of a valkyrie  
and the bones of an old feral dragon, mixed in a boiling cauldron until shaped into armor or equipment. A small 'trinket'  
hung from the chain. It was a dark blood red gem, and its outer rim was bordered by a small dragon, shaped from Demovalra.  
The small dragon encircled the gem, its head meeting its tail. The dragon was also black and silver, and the 'trinket'  
was the size of her thumb. The chainlinks were small squares.  
  
"How did you.."  
  
"Make it? I simply went to the battalion armory and created it by bribing the mastersmith." Yukio answered. His leader's  
demonic monstrosity of a battalion had a sort of 'headquarters', one that could be moved wherever they pleased by using  
evil energy. The castle-like headquarters had an armory for creating weapons and other items, used for any evil purpose  
they so desired. "Put it on, Kuro-chan.."  
  
Dederi slowly unlinked the necklace and put it around her neck. The square links were flexible inbetween, so there was no  
need to fear of it breaking if she bended the chain too much. She linked the ends of the necklace once again. It had  
fit perfectly.  
  
"You look nice." Yukio complimented.  
  
Dederi blushed. "But why would you-"  
  
"Everyone deserves a present on their birthday, Kuro-chan. Especially you." He chuckled at her blush. [It's been so long  
since I've seen her blush..] He suddenly placed his arms around her, her back facing his chest. Dederi dropped the box,  
along with the ribbon and black tissue paper. "You're still the same girl I fell in love with all those years ago.." He  
smiled.  
  
Dederi looked blankly at the ground then. "Demons don't know love, Yukio." She had constantly reminded herself that as well,  
since she was, of course, one-third demon. Dederi was caught between her past emotions and present ones. She thought her  
past was buried, but came to realize that they were still partially unearthed by his sudden appearance. "It's probably  
just your lust for my death."  
  
Yukio merely smiled. "It wouldn't be lust if I've felt this way since Tsurideragon first began."  
"Yukio..." She was basically at a lost for words. [He can't love me..demons have no hearts..but..]  
  
The renegade demon kissed her hair, the smell of lavender going into his lungs. He felt her steady breathing against his  
own. Yukio heard the lively beat of Latin music begin once again, after the twenty minutes of slow Latin jazz had ended.  
"In the honor of your birthday, would you care to dance?" He asked with a sly grin.  
  
Dederi shrugged. "You know I can't dance."  
  
"But Seito taught you how to dance. And I saw you at Relena's birthday dancing with-" He stopped when he felt Dederi's  
body stiffen. He didn't understand at that point, as to why she was crying before, nor why she stiffened at that  
sentence that had just escaped his lips. Yukio then noticed that Dederi had looked to the side of herself, and downward  
towards the cold stone ground. It was as if she was looking away from something that had caused her so much pain. He looked  
up and saw, through the crowds and across, towards the tables where Nova and the others sat, and realized what she was  
hiding from. He looked up, and noticed that Relena and Trowa were kissing. [Stupid human.] He cursed the Latin pilot  
harshly. [He will rue the day he hurt you, Kuroi..I will make sure of that.] "Gomen nasai, Kuro-chan. I-"  
  
"It's alright." She put up a fake grin. "Let's dance."  
  
Yukio returned the grin with one of his own. "Hai."  
  
Trowa, after gaining enough of his sanity and getting enough of his brain to work, harshly pushed Relena off him. Relena  
stumbled onto the ground, gasping for air. Trowa had kept his mouth closed the whole time, so he had no trouble breathing.  
Nova got up, her anger rising, and walked in front of Relena, who was dusting off her white skirt. Nova narrowed her eyes..  
and slapped her.  
  
Relena stumbled back onto the ground, but strangely enough the surrounding people other than the senshi and pilots didn't  
notice. Relena held her cheek, which had turned from a cream color to an excruciatingly painful-looking red. "H-How dare  
you?! How *dare* you?!"  
  
Nova put her hand back down after slapping the blond faker. "You bitch. You think you're goddamn high and mighty and  
everyone loves you. You make me sick. You're lower than scum, Peacecraft." Relena was shocked. No one had ever slapped  
her or yelled at her in such a way that would make her feel humiliated.   
  
"Seito."  
  
Nova turned to her spiky-haired comrad. "What?!" She snapped coldly. *~Surely you would have done the same thing, magi!~*  
  
"Dederi's with Yukio." He said emotionlessly. Nova looked towards him in confusion, and saw that Ibaren was looking  
at the outdoor ballroom. Or rather, the two people that were in the middle of it. *~Peacecraft is a mere mortal. There  
is no need to become so upset.~*  
  
"WHAT?!" Nova looked around furiously for her partner. Her violet skirt flared slightly as she made the sudden movement.  
She finally caught them amidst the dance floor, inbetween other couples, who danced as well. "Damnit..." [Yukio's   
probably going to pull something..] Strange thing was, though, Dederi was actually smiling. And there was something  
around her neck, also.  
  
Trowa and the rest looked towards the outdoor ballroom and sure enough, with no reasonable doubt, that Dederi was on the  
dancefloor. Laughing. The Latin pilot merely stared, this time not in shock but in mere confusion. He then frowned.  
[Dederi...] Who was that guy? Why are they dancing? Trowa's head seemed to whirl in confusion...or was it jealousy? In  
any form emotion, though, Trowa thought one thing. They were too close to one another as they danced.  
  
Dederi grinned as Yukio smiled. "See? I told you that you could dance, Kuro-chan." Yes, she could dance. Quite well,  
actually. Yukio and Dederi had just begun dancing to the Latin music. Lively steps and flexibility had been no problem  
for her, or Yukio, since she had been taught by Nova, who was currently one of the best dancers in all the forms of  
dance, human or not.  
"Not as well as Nova."  
"Nova? Who's Nova?" Yukio asked strangely.  
"Nova is Seito's name in the Silver Millenium, Yukio." Dederi informed as Yukio spun her around.  
"Ohh.." He acknowledged the information. "Now I understand. It was to cover up her true identity, then?"  
"Hai." Dederi answered. Having one more question in her troubled mind, she asked, "Yukio, my birthday can't be the only  
reason why you came. Why are you really here?" Yukio looked over Dederi's shoulder and saw that there was a young woman   
staring at them. "Looks like your overprotective sorceress is watching over you, Kuro-chan."  
  
Dederi blinked. Yukio closed the space between him and Dederi, causing her to blush, and spun both of them around so Dederi  
could see who he was talking aboout. Dederi looked past his shoulder and saw that what he said was true. "Hakai..."  
From the shadow of the first pillar that held up the ballroom, Dederi saw the ningyo. Her black hair was up in its usual  
large odango, tied by gold beads and ribbon, with two long bangs framing the sides of her face. She wore a hand-sewn  
jade turtleneck with white cotton pants, along with jade-green shin-length boots. She was frowning deeply and her arms  
were crossed. Dederi and Yukio then saw that her lilac ki was surrounding her entire body. Hakai Saku, the ningyo   
sorceress, was definitely pissed.  
  
"And knowing her, she'd probably kill me before letting me near you any further."  
  
"Then why are you still here?" Dederi asked, turning her eyes back to her dancing partner.  
  
"I'll take my chances if I get to be with you, Kuro-chan."  
  
Dederi blushed. "..."   
  
Yukio laughed at Dederi's pale blush. It was definitely nice to see her this way. But, once again, his laughter died  
down as they twirled again. He saw a group of people staring at them as well. All of which were in Rommefeller uniforms.  
"Kuso." Yukio slowly drew him and Dederi further into the dancing crowd. Dederi looked at him. His eyes were filled with  
worry and cautious anxiety. He continued to step backwards, attempting to lose the group's set gaze on them. He then  
stopped when he reached the center of the ballroom.  
  
"Nani desuka? What's wrong..?"  
  
The demon shook his head and drew her closer to him. He whispered into her ear, his soft breath warming her skin.  
"Sentinels are right behind you."  
  
"How many.." Dederi's expression turned grim. Everyone who danced, including Dederi and Yukio, slowly made their   
transition to traditional slow dancing as the performing band began to play a soothing, mellow Latin song.  
  
"Six sentinels. They're in their human forms. Led by Inabikari, farthest to the right. Two are youma, the last three  
are youkai." Yukio whispered further. "Gomen. I'm not even supposed to be here. They tracked me. You get yourself out of  
here. I'll distract them once they make their move. They're probably also going to attempt to capture you." What he  
had said was true, for Yukio had indicated that all of their auras were sickly tainted with malice and hatred for all  
things human.   
  
"I'm not leaving you here for a noble sacrifice, Yukio." Dederi grinned. "I haven't been in a good fight in a while.  
My spirit yearns for blood, as much as I hate to say it. And besides," She spun them around so she could look at them  
herself, "Demons don't have valor."  
  
Yukio grinned. "Glad to see you're back to your old self." [But they do, Kuroi. Haven't you seen what I've done so far?]  
His thoughts were slightly interrupted as he watched the Rommefeller 'soldiers' get up. They left their beers and whiskey  
glasses on the circular table as they moved away from it. They then walked in a group towards the Northwest pillar, away  
from Yukio's sight. "Damnit." He hastily looked back at Dederi who was scowling at the Rommefeller's movements as well.  
"Dederi, Youhko's planning to take you back. He wants your power again. I came to warn you about it." Dederi's unwavered  
stare caused him to stop. She motioned him to continue. "I overheard that if you come willingly, they won't have to destroy  
you or anyone else who doesn't deserve to suffer." That last sentence caused the assassin to shiver slightly. She had  
heard of this plan before. In her own sacrifice, millions of people will be saved, but only for a short period of time.  
At a terrible price, not only of her soul and power, but the increasing probability that the demons using her power   
would be able to amplify their own strengths and annihilate all hope for humanity. Yukio put his mouth to her ear, his   
voice softening as his distempered breath contacted with Dederi's pale skin. "All of humanity will be destroyed if you   
heed to Youhko's words. You know that that plan of his is only sustained until you can be successfully killed or held  
captive. Even brainwashed. If you don't defeat him and his battalion, I wouldn't-"  
  
"Why do you care if humanity is wiped out of universal existence..?" Dederi interrupted. "You would be saved, wouldn't  
you? You are a demon. Youhko's blood lust is limited to that of humans and all things weak. I know you'd be spared."  
  
Yukio looked into her eyes, iceberg blue meeting blackened-red. "Because then I would have nothing to remain in   
existence for. Before we first met, I grew a form of hatred for humans, for they wretched and feared our demonic existence.  
I felt that if humans were annihilated, the universe would be fit for demons and other beings. I agreed to be hired by  
that bastard demon king, for I agreed with his ideals. So when I first met you, my ideals changed. I can't explain why.  
At first I hated you for being a traitor to him, then we became rivals for power. You made me realize that humans aren't  
just weak life forms that can be discarded without reason. I still agree, though, that demons are much more superior in  
strength and power than humans, but if they were wiped out of existence, that would make you sad, would it not?"  
  
Dederi attempted to speak, but found that she couldn't. [He..he's doing this..he's doing this for me? Because..I'd be..  
sad? I..I don't understand...demons don't have..demons don't have emotions..] She found that even her thoughts were  
filled with confusion. "Why..." She began, attempting once more to talk. She whispered with an uncharacteristically weak  
voice. Dederi was right in front of Yukio's face. Their somewhat intense stare seemed to blot out the surrounding music,  
and it was as if all of the civilians around them had 'blurred'. "Why do you care so much about me? Do you not care for  
your own well being..?"  
  
Yukio's mouth was opened slightly, as if about to say something. His eyes seemed to waver slowly as he drew closer to her  
face. "Because I-"  
  
"THAT'S ENOUGH!"  
  
The demon suddenly jerked away from Dederi's face, opening his eyes in the process. Dederi and Yukio looked simultaneously  
towards the left, at a pillar where the angry, restless voice had came from. Everyone did so, as well. It was the  
ningyo sorceress who stood in front of the pillar, her lilac aura intensifying as she stared them down. She brandished  
a white curved sword, made directly from white magic. Her aura had gone to her sword as well. Hakai then began to vanish,  
then suddenly reappeared inbetween Dederi and Yukio. The thin, sharp blade was directly at Yukio's throat, and her deep  
almond eyes staring at Yukio with hatred. "You will not come any closer to Kuroi, demon. And if by doing so, you will  
feel your blood flow down the broad of my sword."  
  
The Gundam pilots, sailor senshi, half-youkai, and magi, along with the 'sovreign', looked at the life-threatning spectacle  
before them. Rei did not seem to feel evil eminating from the newcomer, although did not trust her fully. She then realized  
who it was. "That..that's the sorceress!" The commoners had quickly fled as the sorceress's threat was made clear.  
  
Ibaren and Nova nodded in compliance, but kept their attention to the outdoor ballroom, as everyone else did. Ibaren stood  
up, followed by Nova.  
  
"Hakai, matte." Dederi ordered in a monotone voice. "There is no need for such things."  
Hakai's eyes wandered to the girl that she 'protected'. "Kuroi, he's only going to kill you! Don't you-"  
"Matte." At that word, along with Dederi's scowl, Hakai withdrew her sword, hesitantly. She sheathed the white blade.  
*~Why do you trust this demon, Kuro-chan? He's with the enemy! You can't trust him again! After the first war-~*  
*~The past has nothing to do with this Hakai.~* Dederi answered telepathically.   
  
A shrill laugh entered the conversation, although it was not from a human. It was female, though more demonic. Everyone  
turned around at the direction of which the sound eminated from, and found that the laugh had come from Inabikari,  
followed by her small 'team' of youkai and youma. The first sister of Arashi wore her black pantsuit and white silk  
blouse, along with her black shoes. Her cherrywood brown hair was up in its usual bun, with thick bangs framing the  
sides of her face. Her red-violet eyes held amusement and malice as she laughed mockingly. The five non-human soldiers  
were all wearing standard compulsory Rommefeller soldier attire. Inabikari stood mockingly in front of the five soldiers,  
in front of the Northwest pillar that they had presumably hid behing before. Her grin sent a small shiver down Hakai's  
and Dederi's spine. "Well, well...It seems that the right-hand man has disobeyed orders once again."  
  
"Inabikari, what the hell are you doing here?!" Yukio scowled. "If you harm her you will truly pay!"  
  
Ignoring Yukio's gruff scowl, she looked towards Dederi, who glared at her in return. "My, my, Kuroi, you haven't   
changed one bit." She smiled mercilessly. "Oh wait, yes you have. Your heart has softened. You've yielded to humanity's  
temptation of-"  
  
"SNAP DRAGON!" The female demon was cut off when an attack in the form of an aquamarine dragon engulfed her. The attack  
swallowed her whole, and Inabikari lowered herself to her knees, one of her arms draped over her chest and held onto  
her shoulder. She grit her teeth, groaning in pain as the flames scorched her human skin. Suddenly the aquamarine  
dragon withdrew backwards, then dissolved back into the sorceress's right palm. Inabikari groaned in pain, then chuckled,  
ignoring the black blood that flowed down from her shoulder and onto her hand. She stood up then, still holding her   
shoulder, and stared down the sorceress. "This ends now, Inabikari."  
  
"You think you can defeat me with that attack?"  
  
"You're bleeding, aren't you?" Hakai growled. The senshi and pilots stared at the scorched marble floor of the outdoor  
ballroom. The senshi had never seen such a large amount of energy released like that. It had taken all of them to release  
even half of what the sorceress had just done, and they also realized that that was only the beginning of Hakai's spiritual  
power.   
  
"Hey, We've seen this before..." Duo stared wide-eyed at the crumbling floor.  
"What?!" Rei exclaimed. "How in kami's name would you see such a large amount of energy dispersed like that?!"  
Wufei stared at Hakai's glowing form. Hakai was getting angrier at Inabikari, who in turn grinned maliciously at the   
sorceress's presence. "Bakarayo Maxwell. We've seen a much larger blast than what we just saw. After you senshi left   
Relena's west ballroom, Dederi released a large attack with corrosive energy. It killed all of the soldiers, but Dederi  
somehow managed to shield the civilians."  
"NANI?!" Nova swerved around, confronting Wufei. "What attack did she use?!"  
"I do not know..something dark red and black.."   
"Think, damnit!" Nova uncharacteristically yelled, her eyes shining with worry and aggravation. "All of her attacks  
are black and red-oriented! Be more specific!"  
Heero grunted. "It was something very powerful, that I admit. She seemed to mumble 'black death', or something of the sort.  
It was translated into 'shi kuroi', I presume."  
[Damnit.] Nova thought. "Shi Kuroi is a very powerful attack, as you have permitted to say. She only uses that attack at  
full blast when much evil has been foreseen."  
"So?" Duo said questioningly.  
"And if much evil has been foreseen..." She added everything together. "Oh no..." Nova looked directly back at Inabikari,  
then jumped several yards up from the ground. She growled, then put her hands together and began to gather energy for an  
attack. "Damn you, demon! You'll never learn! YOAKENO KAJIDA!" She then released a devastating blast of  
blue and purple fire from the palms of her hands. The blue and purple fire swirled together and broke through the roof  
of the ballroom, chunks of it falling down onto the marble floor, causing several cracks to appear. The nearby civilians  
had run far away by this time, so there was no need to hold back. The blast was aimed directly at Inabikari, and had  
made direct contact. She writhed in pain once again, engulfed in the direct attack made by the half-youkai. As the  
massive attack had slowly dispersed, Nova allowed gravity to control her movements and she quickly stepped back onto  
solid ground. Duo and the other gundam pilots acknowledged her increasing scowl. Nova reached up and hastily grabbed the  
white ribbon which held her elegant ponytail, and harshly pulled it out of her tresses. Her hair flowed freely past her  
shoulders, and gave off a sort of mystic feeling. But that feeling diminished as Nova grew angrier. She curtly looked  
at the senshi, who looked at her in shock. "Have you no clue of what is taking place?! Henshin or you shall truly perish!"  
She then left them, jumping into the fray. The senshi looked at each other, and nodded. They would vanquish the evil that  
has appeared. No matter what the cost. And after brilliant multi-colored lights flashed around them, consuming their  
fair bodies in etherial energy, they ,too, entered the fray, leaving the gundam pilots to load their guns. Quatre stood  
behind the elevated bandstand, a .45 rifle in his grasp, which he had previously stored in his violin case.  
  
Inabikari had knelt on one knee after Nova had succeeded in attacking her, her scarred hand covering her face while the  
other maintained her balance on the ground. Black fluid cascaded down her forehead, arms, chest, and legs, weakening her  
as her eyes stung from contacting with the blood that poured from her forehead. Her eyes held hate and the need for  
vengeance for herself and her pride. She held her face up then, and growled at the half-youkai. Her left hand, which  
supported her against the ground, secretely held a bronze ki-sphere, which Nova was at shock to as Inabikari forced  
her hand up and threw the ki sphere at the unknowing halfling. Nova was hit square on her abdomen, and was sent crashing  
into the southeast pillar. Nova screamed in pain, and after connecting with the pillar, gravity slowly dragged her downward,  
a river of blood following her from where her back had hit the pillar. She fell onto the ground, groaning as she felt her  
back burn ferociously, her stomach feeling as if it had exploded. Inabikari began to chuckle insanely as she stood up  
on her two feet. "You seriously think you can beat a demon of my rank?!" Her chuckle turned to an outright laugh.  
  
Dederi looked at Nova's bloody form. [Nearly unconscious.] "Inabikari." She said her name with such malice and in such  
a deep voice that Darth Vader would've been proud of it. "Leave before I must destroy you." Her eyes held firm at her   
enemy's form, narrowed with much determination. "I will not fight unless need it be."  
  
"Kuroi..." Hakai said her name hesitantly. [I now understand. She is holding back from fighting. Kuroi, you have changed  
so much. But why? Why are you suddenly valuing life like this? Why? You are so different now...what has changed you? Could  
it be those senshi from the other dimension? Or perhaps...]   
  
Ibaren shouted at Dederi in a form of language that no one, save Dederi, Nova, Inabikari, the demons, Sailor Pluto, and  
Ibaren himself, understood. Dederi shook her head in response to the cryptic language. "Not until he is needed."  
  
"Pluto, what language was that?" Sailor Mercury asked, dazed. "I have never heard of such an etherial language."  
The Guardian of Time gripped her Time Key. "I do not know of its origin, Mercury. It is a definite language of the  
ancients, created in the beginning of all worlds' creations. I have heard it before, but only once." She said not a word  
more then.  
  
Inabikari grinned maliciously. "My, my, you *have* changed. So you won't fight in your true form, eh?" A bronze ki sphere  
appeared at the palm of her uplifted right hand. "You've grown so weak I still can't believe that Youhko wants you." She  
continued to taunt the assassin with malice and enjoyment of Dederi's scowl. "Your powers can't possibly be like they  
were when the world first began. I bet you have even been poisoned by your own stupid human emotions. Or.." She smirked  
as the bronze sphere began to increase in size, "Maybe you were willing to give up your dark powers just to become human.  
Well, I *must* tell you, my dear ex-comrad, that you cannot escape your destiny. Humanity shall die by your own hands,  
and the power of Chiosu will engulf the entire universe in oblivion. You cannot deny your demonic heritage."  
"You have always been the philosophical one, Inabikari." Dederi narrowed her eyes calmly. "But I won't fight you."  
"Oh?" Inabikari questioned falsely. "And if your precious beloved was harmed, would you fight?"  
"What?" Dederi's eyes widened significantly as she said the word in a raspy, exasperated voice. [T..Trowa..] She then  
put that thought to rest. [No...he doesn't care for me at all...Who *would* care for such me, anyway?]  
The bronze sphere, now the size of a dodgeball, began to shift its own shape into a sort of energy sword. Inabikari's  
hand then grasped the 'hilt', and the energy sword began to stiffen in shape. The energy slowly made its transition from  
a bronze light to a sort of metal. The hilt was a deep, copper-bronze shade, and was adorned with dragons teeth and the  
bar that she grasped was made from the hard bone of a valkyrie's wing. The sword itself was rather long, that it being  
a sort of lengthened fencing sabre, and was in the shade of black onyx. The teeth on the hilt rang softly like bells as   
Inabikari expertly twirled the sword around in her right hand.   
"Inabikari go back to the base." Yukio gruffily ordered.  
"No." Inabikari snorted. "I was sent here to retrieve you from your treasonous acts, Yukio. Bringing Kuroi back is a  
bonus of which I must take in compliance."  
"Damn you, for once listen to me." The demon growled. "Sentinels fall back. Return to base until further notice." The 'men'  
behind Inabikari remained still. One of them replied in a cautious manner, in the same language that the senshi nor pilots  
could comprehend. 'He' seemed to talk in an apologetic tone, as if apologizing for their refusing to acknowledge his orders.  
Inabikari merely laughed at his attempt. "It is useless, Yukio. They have recieved direct orders to follow only mine for   
the time being." Yukio grit his teeth, his silk shirt shifted softly as his gold aura flared outward from his muscular body.  
"Yukio." Dederi interrupted. Yukio looked towards her. "Go. They will not reprimand you. This is my battle."  
"Kuro-chan, if I leave-"  
"Do it..!" She ordered harshly. Yukio still seemed unconvinced.  
"Oh how touching this is. Old feelings resurfacing, Kuroi?" Inabikari sneered.  
Dederi's gaze upon Inabikari did not budge. "Damare, konorayo! There were no such things, and never will be!"  
Inabikari laughed mercilessly. "If what you say is, indeed, true, then prove your hatred." She smoothly tightened her grip  
on the bronze hilt of her sabre, then swiftly sliced the blade downward into the ballroom floor, then upward, causing   
a curved line to surface onto the floor. "Fight me! SONODAN SNOSHINDA!" At those words, the curved, shallow cut in the  
floor erupted in dark bronze light, moving like water upward and downward like a geyser would. The bronze energy 'line'  
the began to storm through the already ruined ballroom floor, chunks of wood, marble, and debris erupting outward from  
the geyser of energy, of which sped recklessly towards Dederi's disgruntled form.  
"Dederi get out of the way!" Sailor Jupiter screamed. Dederi smirked at the worried Jovian.   
"You think I'm this weak?" The energy wave was blocked by Dederi's dark red shield. "Try again. I still won't fight."  
"You don't remember this attack, do you?" Inabikari smirked. "Sonodan Snoshinda. Dance of the Dead." Suddenly the single  
wave split in two, once again ramming against the shield, which held strong against the attack. The two waves then split  
into four, moving backwards from Dederi's shield and circling it repeatedly until ramming into it again, then being pushed  
back, splitting into eight waves, significantly smaller but nonetheless devastatingly powerful. The waves continued to  
circle her, like a herd of sharks surrounding their victim before going in for the kill. Dederi kept up her shield, but  
looked around for a way out. Inabikari grinned as she went on. "Circles its target endlessly. Every energy contacted with  
itself causes it to split in two. You should remember this attack. After all, you're the one who created it." Dederi's  
eyes narrowed at that revelation. Yes, she had created this attack. It was a free-spelled attack; meaning that anyone   
of mystic origin could use it. Unfortunately, no one of Dragonn used this attack anymore, therefore Youhko had the  
advantage of using this attack against them. Dederi looked around, then realized what Inabikari had intended to do. Her  
eyes then closed as she dropped into her fighting stance, ignoring the resistance of movement that her dress had  
caused. She concentrated her energy, her black and crimson aura beginning to appear.   
*~Count to three, then open fire at the soldiers behind Inabikari.~* She ordered the senshi through telepathy. The  
senshi all blinked in suprise. They had not known that she was able to speak through minds. They then recollected their  
thoughts, a few of them shaking their heads, and began to charge their planetary energy for an all-out assault towards  
their enemies. Dederi then sent her voice towards the Gundam pilots, and reluctantly towards Trowa as well. *~Get out  
of here. You will die if you do not leave.~* Dederi's dark aura began to increase in size, her shield not moving an inch.  
Her aura soon took the remaining space inside the shield as Inabikari's energy waves increased in number, surrounding  
her fully, taunting her. "Yukio, if you're going to be of any use, get Nova out of here. Take her to the mansion. Then  
leave." Yukio stared at her as though she was going out of her mind, but put that strange thought to rest as he saw  
the determined look in her dark, entrancing eyes.   
"Alright." Yukio teleported over to the unconscious half-youkai and picked her up, swinging her up onto her shoulder. He  
briefly nodded once more to Dederi. "Take care." He then disappeared in a flash of ice blue light. Ibaren and Hakai did   
not trust the demon, but thought it be for the best as they, too, charged up their ki. Ibaren's dark blue aura began   
to flare violently, as Hakai's deep lilac aura began to encircle her delicate body.  
  
*~One.~*  
  
The senshi began to glow in their respective colors, they themselves completely in tune with their birth planets'  
energies. "Mercury..." "Mars..." "Jupiter..." "Venus..." "Neptune..." "Uranus..." "Pluto..." "Saturn..." "ChibiMoon..."  
"No way are we gonna leave you girls!" Duo yelled furiously.  
Wufei realized what they were going to do, and also began to glow a mysterious white light. He grit his teeth as he willed  
his full spiritual power to come into visible existence. [While the senshi are distracting those soldiers, Dederi will  
use her energy to attack that onna..Ibaren and Hakai will cover them..] Duo looked at his Chinese comrad in awe and  
fear.  
  
*~Two.~*  
  
"Aqua..." "Fire..." "Oak..." "Love and beauty..." "Submarine..." "Space Sword..." "Dead..." "Death Reborn..." "Sugar Pink.."  
"What the hell're you doing, Wufei?!"  
Wufei looked towards his braided 'friend' in annoyance. "I'm going to assist them in destroying the enemy."  
"What?! And how the hell are you supposed to be able to do that?!"  
"You, Heero, and Quatre get out of here! Trowa and I can take care of ourselves!" He ignored the osage-baka's outburst.  
Trowa looked on at Dederi's angry, determined form. His mind still whirled in confusion, even as Inabikari began to  
laugh at the female assassin as she remained surrounded by the attack that she herself had created. "Wufei's right. You  
get yourselves out of here."  
"Have you gone mad, Barton?! Get you and the others out of here!" Dederi growled, screaming. As much as she [recently]  
hated to admit it, she didn't want the unibang to get hurt. Even if he allowed the blond ditz to kiss him. *~Damn you,  
listen to me! Get out of here! You and Wufei's strengths will not stand a chance against that of Inabikari's!~*  
Inabikari caught that 'I-don't-want-you-hurt' tone in her ex-comrad's aggravated voice. Her already large grin widened  
further as her demonic brain created an idea that would certainly rile Dederi's bloodlust. She charged a bronze gold  
ki sphere in her left hand, her right still holding onto her sabre.   
  
*~Three!~*  
  
"Get out of here, now!"  
"..Rhapsody!" "..Flame Sniper!" "..Evolution!" "..Shock!" "..Reflection!" "..Blaster!" "..Scream!" "..Revolution!"   
"..Heart Attack!" All planetary attacks were instantly directed towards the unmoving, and nontheless suprised, demon  
and monster soldiers, glowing lights showering the Peacecraft Square in an array of ice, fire, nature, love, water, and   
other forms of etherial energy. The attacks combined and formed a humongous ray of planetary energy, engulfing the  
soldiers. Everyone heard their inhumane screams as they were unwillingly bathed in the blast. The rainbow-colored ray  
soon disentigrated, leaving only burnt, destroyed, and bloody husks. Sailor Venus, Mercury, Saturn, and Chibimoon resisted  
the urge to emotionally break down and regurgitate, for they had never willingly killed anything that looked to be so  
human. Dederi took no time to acknowledge the destroyed soldiers as she unleashed her own devastating attack on Inabikari,  
as did the legendary magi and sorceress. "SNAPDRAGON!" "MIZUKAIJI!" "SHI KUROI!" The aquamarine dragon once again presented  
itself, as did Dederi's black and red projectile attack. Ibaren's attack was similar to that of Dederi's, although it  
was a single blast, currently about two square yards wide/tall, and was represented not in ki, but literally in mystic  
blue fire. Wufei also emitt a white ki blast from his palms, but even as Heero, Quatre, and Duo shielded their eyes, Trowa  
seemingly did nothing but stand. But..that was only to those who were too occupied with the assault. His eyes were wide,  
his deep green aura glowing softly. No one noticed that his wide eyes were glazed.  
  
#"Let's see how you react to this!" A woman's voice seemed to yell. Suddenly Trowa saw bronze spheres of light hurled  
towards himself.#  
  
Trowa blinked. [What was that?] Was it a vision? He then shook his head. Maybe it was his imagination playing against his  
mind..but for some reason, Trowa found it hard to believe that. Meanwhile, Inabikari, as you could have probably envisioned,  
was in a deep predicament, even with her strength. She was engulfed with a furiously powerful wave of ancient Dragonn  
energy, as well as a not so strong purity wave. She groaned in disgust. Inabikari opened her dark, scarred eyes a little,  
fighting against the blinding lights which continued to do their damage, and realized that Dederi was still surrounded  
by the Sonodan Snoshinda. Inabikari smirked as she charged up the ki sphere that still laid in her hands, it growing  
larger and larger, until stopping when it became the direct size of a basketball. The entrancing glow of the sphere  
heavily countered the combined attacks, miraculously for Inabikari, it also healed her previous wounds. Inabikari  
smirked violently as the remaining attacks dispersed, for Dederi was still surrounded by the Dance of the Dead wave and  
would certainly be difficult for her to escape. She glanced towards the senshi and pilots; the senshi were still standing,  
although half of them were showing signs of heavy fatigue, and the human pilots were shaking their heads and blinking  
furiously, obviously blinded by the numerous attacks, although Trowa seemed to blink less violently and Wufei was still  
glowing a faint white shade. [That purity wave was not accounted for..though weak and in the beginning-state, it made  
my demonic spirit painfully reminded me of how much I hate the light. I will destroy them all.] "I must admit that your  
attacks are quite admirable, if not for my rapid healing I would surely be dead. But, alas, my dear ex-comrad, that you  
and your 'friends' will not be tolerated. If you won't fight, I shall have to take what is dearest from you." Suddenly,  
another ki sphere identical to the first one appeared in her right hand, her bronze sabre disappearing in a flash.  
"Let's see how you react to THIS!" She yelled in her true demonic voice as she hurled both spheres at the Latin pilot.  
  
[This is the vision..!] Trowa realized as he saw the bronze spheres of light hurled towards him. His acrobatic skills  
came reflexively as he backflipped, escaping the blast of the first one. He landed on the ground with ease and put up  
his emerald shield, but unfortunately with the lack of experience came his inevitable weakness. The second sphere hit  
his shield dead center, and emerald and bronze sparks flew as the sphere pushed Trowa backwards, his heels digging into  
the ground, ignoring the bronze smoke which erupted from the first sphere's explosion.   
"How could a human dodge my blasts?!" Inabikari growled rather loudly.   
  
[He won't last much longer. But how can I get out of Sonodan?] Dederi thought worriedly. [Damnit. I can only..] Suddenly,  
her mind was brought back into the land of the wake as she heard a masculine scream emitted from her left. She looked,  
and her eyes widened as she saw Trowa lying on the ground, surrounded by bronze and gold smoke, his clothes red with blood  
and his shirt now had a large hole, in front of his extensively bleeding chest. The pilots, including Quatre, immediately  
ran over to their now unconscious Latin comrad, yelling his name, attempting to wake him from his unintentional slumber,  
as did the senshi. The outsiders from Tsurideragon did nothing but stand still, wrought with anxiety and anger boiling  
within them. Dederi's black hair wafted violently over her face, clouding her distrought anger. Her eyes were once again,  
glazed into a silouette of blood red and midnight black, no sparkle, nor life eminating from them. Everyone turned as they  
sensed an impending darkness, a flow of inevitable evil and dread washing over everyone. Ibaren and Hakai frowned, and stood  
beside their despondent friend, as if knowing what was to come. Dederi's eyes seemed to frighten the humans and planetary  
warriors, who stood around Trowa, for they looked to be filled with emptiness and sorrow..and bloodlust. Dederi's   
despondent form took up her hands, looking at as if inspecting for blood, and to the suprise and fright of everyone her  
hands began to glow a deep, bloody red. Her mouth was open, her breath thin and disturbing, as if psychotic. "If you  
want to fight me, youkai..." Everyone backed away, save Ibaren, Hakai, and Inabikari, as they heard her voice, which  
sounded like there were two voices at once; her voice seemed despondent and filled with wrath...her normal, female, voice  
was there, that they recognized...but there was a second voice, almost sounding metallic, almost sounding male. "...you  
will fight with all thy strength.." 'Dederi' looked up, her pale complextion terrifying the humans further as they saw  
blood dripping from the left crevice from her mouth. "...I am the dark one that your lord has created...of whom he   
assimilated his demonic essence with thee.." Her despondent expression remained still, "..Thee will fight thy reincarnation,  
Inabikari."  
  
Everyone heard the demoness's evil cackle. "So you have finally shown yourself, dragon."  
  
======  
AN: Tra la la la la...It's finally done..tra la la la la..lol anywhoo..for those of you who..er..were told..that something  
*specific* was going to happen, once again, I'm really sorry, but that will be in the next chapter..[which is already  
halfway done]. I would like to thank my wonderfully-talented cousin, Diane, who gave me 3/4 of the ideas used in this   
chapter. Life would be impossible without her, folks. lol I would also like to thank my nonbiological sis, Jochi, and  
my friend Ryn, who praise my fics so amiably. ^^ One last thanks to my beloved gundam wing muse: TROWA BARTON! lol I love  
the unibang...^_^  
  
Email: ketsekiburade@hotmail.com 


	13. Reclamation

Lunar Succession  
  
Author: ~Heartless Spirit~  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own SM or GW. I DO own Dederi, so no stealin'! AND IBAREN TOO!!! NOVA BELONGS TO JESS-CHAN!!!  
(Youhko's my own character too, if you haven't realized that by now...) BTW, HAKAI BELONGS TO DIANE, MY TALENTED COUSIN.  
If you want to read Diane's fics, her pen name on ff.net is SNAPdragon! All other villains are mine as well..yes, it is  
a lot of characters. DEAL WITH IT. The other enemies are mine.  
  
AN: Oi, minna! [Translation: Hey, Everyone!] I'm getting discouraged..why aren't ppl reading my fics? I feel so depressed.  
'Tis so sad..yes it is..but for those of you who have decided to stick with my fic so far: I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!...[cough] er,  
forget I said that...[looks away] Anywhoo, I'd like to warn you that, well, Dederi will be very gore-oriented in this   
chapter, well, the beginning anyway. A lot of depression as well. But not to worry, Loyal Anime Readers of the Universe!  
It will lighten up a bit in the second half. @_____@ And..uhm..also..uh..ehehehe...the end of this chapter is lime.   
Remember: I WARNED YOU.  
  
(Note: #...# = Memories or Visions;Dream Sequence)  
======  
Lunar Succession  
======  
Chapter 13-Reclamation  
======  
  
Everyone heard the demoness's evil cackle. "So you have finally shown yourself, dragon."  
  
Sailor Uranus growled. There were many things that she did not understand for the present time, but she did realize  
one single detail. Whenever anyone of them was hurt, she became despondent, but not as despondent as she was now. How  
was it that such depressive emotion could be turned into energy? The evil force that emitted from the assassin still  
increased, but she dared not move. Sailor Uranus felt a deep chill in her spine. A few feet away, she heard Sailor Mars  
screaming in pain, which did not suprise her as much as it did the first time such evil was emitted, for the priestess  
was able to sense negative vibrations. But for so much dark power to be dispersed so suddenly must have given the fire-  
weilding senshi a painful headache. She, as well as a few of the other recovering senshi, looked towards Dederi's  
home-dimension comrads, and noticed that Ibaren had a sad look on his face, while Hakai held a solemn expression, both  
of which felt to be radiating pain as they looked at their depressed and angry friend. She soon saw the reason why Ibaren  
looked to distraught. Dederi had begun crying, tears cascading down her pale human flesh. Sailor Uranus and the rest of  
them held back the urge to spill a few tears of their own...for such tears must have held much pain..for her tears were  
of blood.  
  
Dederi's eyes remained silouetted as the blood spilled down her face. She no longer felt anger. She no longer felt pain.  
Only bloodlust. Bloodlust for the one who had hurt her lover. But, she was no longer the one the magi called Kuroi. She   
was no longer aloof. She was but a different being. She was the ancient dragon who was assimilated from the devil himself.  
Her voice was still 'double', as if another spirit spoke with her in unison. The other voice was so metallic-sounding. It  
was definitely a male, from which everyone could tell, and spoke so well with Dederi's more feminine voice. They listened  
intently as Dederi and the other voice continued. "..You and I shall fight to the death.." Dederi's hands fell limp at  
her sides, her left looked as if it was grasping something loosely, "..Your death will be the first of many..your blood  
will cool to the floor as you are flensed with knives by your own victims..you must learn never to underestimate. It makes  
a fool of yourself and your lord." Suddenly, Dederi's silouetted eyes flashed and began to glow a deep, blood red,   
increasing the amount of evil energy in the vicinity, causing Sailor Mars's headache to worsen. Dederi's face looked up,  
and her glowing eyes blinded everyone for a solid moment, everything within a five-yard radius exploding in black fire.  
  
Everyone was engulfed in the dark flames, smoke making its way into their heaving lungs. Everyone, excluding the   
Tsurideragon crew, shielded their eyes and covered their mouths, someone managing to place a peace of cloth over the  
unconscious unibang's mouth and nose (AN: Don't worry. The cloth is breathable.). Wufei managed to open his   
eyes long enough to take a glance at everyone to see how they were faring against the sudden blaze, and saw that they were  
as he were. Confused and somewhat frightened. He looked towards Dederi, and resisted the urge to gape as the Sonodan  
Snoshinda wave was utterly annihilated. Dederi was now floating about a foot away from the wrecked ballroom floor, above  
the black fire which continued to destroy the Square. Her white dress was soon burned away by the flames, and was now  
only clothed in it. The fire covered her entire body, but to everyone's suprise she did not scream. No gasp, no shout,  
only silence. Her eyes remain open as the blood tears continue to flow. Suddenly, the dragon-shaped mist closed in on her  
fire-covered body, consuming everything of her except her face. Everyone's eyes are open now, ignoring the fumes and teary  
flames. They saw a metallic shine on her, and they realized she was no longer naked, but clothed with a red-black single-  
shouldered breastplate. Her right shoulder was bare, but her left shoulder was covered by part of the breastplate, the  
sleeve not actually covering her arm. The 'sleeve' was shaped like a claw, hanging about two inches above her shoulder.  
She had also now donned pants, made from some sort of ancient cloth, which did not get singed by the flames. Over her  
pelvis was an ancient form of armored plate, in a deep black color, as well as armored, knee-length black boots. But  
what really caught their attention was the long armored glove which she wore on her left hand and arm. It was completely  
black, and went up her arm, reaching the middle of her upper arm. It was heavily armored, though allowed her to freely   
move her arm, for it consisted of thick armored links. The glove covered her hand.   
Circling the whole glove, reaching to ending at her middle finger, was a dark black Demovalran-carved dragon, bearing a   
striking resemblance to the mist that surrounded Dederi. It was..  
  
"The Gauntlet of Chiosu.." Sailor Pluto realized, utterly baffled. It had finally shown itself.  
  
"My true form, demon..." The terrifying double-voice of Dederi commented, although the male voice seemed to be louder at  
the moment.   
  
Inabikari unconsciously backed away a few feet. She had meant for Dederi to fight her, but how was she to win a battle  
against an entity that was stronger than even her lord? "Dark Incarnate.." She said its name with great fear and tremble.  
  
"YOU MEAN TO TELL ME-" Duo shrieked while he coughed through the firey air, "-THAT DEDERI IS THE ONE THEY'RE LOOKING FOR?!"  
Sailor Jupiter's voice trembled with awe and fear. "It can't...It's can't be..."  
  
"Yesss..." Dederi said calmly, still floating in the air. Suddenly, she arched her neck and back, as if gasping in increased  
pain. The place where her shoulder blades were located began to glow a dark red, and as black feathers began to emitt  
from her back. Everyone stared in awe as black angel wings sprouted from her back. The feathers of her wings were black,  
and her actual wing bones were a soft white, framing the top part of her wings. "I am now complete.." She said, her back  
still arched as her wings waved softly through the flames, "I am the dark one you seek...Dark Incarnate..." She then  
slowly moved back into an upright position. "You shall pay," She said, her normal voice long gone, "For the pain that thee  
hast unleashed upon my counterpart." The Dark Incarnate's right hand balled into a fist, and out of nowhere a double-blade  
sword appeared in her grip, both blades shimmering with etherial energy. The hilt ends were adorned with jingling dragon  
teeth, which sounded like bells as they rung in discord, beautiful and vengeful at the same time. The sound of their  
ringing was in harmony, yet more apart and distracted than more people would ever realize. The sword was completely  
and utterly black, the blades a pale white, shining in unison to the discord of the etherial song. The humans found   
the 'music' mesmerising, and Ibaren and Hakai found it difficult to grab their heads and scream, which confused the senshi   
and pilots. "I allow you to choose death by my blade, to release you from the sorrow of this world."  
  
"Shut up!" Inabikari suddenly appeared with her reappeared Valkyrie sabre, which would have sliced Dederi's face in half  
if she had not swiftly blocked it with her double-blade. Inabikari's face was filled with incomprehensible anger. "You  
don't know anything, dragon. I am not as weak as you think I am."  
Dederi's eyes were still monotone and silouetted, her face deathly and calm. "As you wish." Dederi turned the grip on her  
blade and pushed Inabikari's away with amazing speed, the black fire surrounding them roaring with the increased wind.  
The assassin swerved to her right, landing on the destroyed floor, then with her right foot propelled herself into the  
air and swung her blade upward, knocking Inabikari's sabre out of her hand. She then disappeared, and reappeared behind  
her enemy.   
  
"No.." Inabikari whispered with a raspy voice, her eyes widening. Dederi thrust her blade upward and through the female  
demon's chest. Black liquid exploded from inside her, staining Dederi's pale face. Inabikari groaned, her breath very  
short and ragged. Dederi pulled the blade from her body. Inabikari's face began to pale as she dropped onto the ground,  
onto her knees, and her body cooled to the floor, a pool of dark blood forming under her cold body. Dederi's blade  
was covered in her enemy's blood. Her face was still monotone. She lifted her double-blade, her top-blade over her head  
and the bottom-blade down to her ankles. With a final swipe, Dederi brought down the top-blade, and sliced off her  
adversary's head. The senshi covered their mouths in disgust and sadness, a few throwing up as they saw the bones and  
innards of their enemy, her blood covering the decimated floor. Sailor ChibiMoon had begun screaming at the sight of the  
blood, and she was now crying when her enemy had been beheaded, as such carnage and gore was not meant for such a pacifistic  
child.  
  
Ibaren stood still, even as the black fire continued to burn around him and the battle had ended, as did the ningyo  
sorceress, Hakai. He and Hakai, by using their ki shields and powers, were not burned nor singed at all. They merely  
stood, watching their despondent friend as she looked at the beheaded demoness. "So..this is the first of many.."  
Hakai nodded. "Yes, magi. Should we not call the others for the upcoming battle?"  
"No. We have but one objective, and we do not need help from the Light and the Chronos."  
"I understand, magi." She then moved in front of Dederi, ignoring the disgusting smell of a newly dead corpse. "Dederi,  
the Dark Dragon of Ancient Dragonn. I see you have manefested the Dark Incarnate, and I welcome you, although I must implore  
thee..is Youhshiro alive once more..?"  
  
Dederi's head did not nod nor shake. "He is. The demonic emperor, my creator, is alive."  
  
Hakai nodded her head. She need not say more, for she realized that Dederi's eyes had begun to clear, no longer silouetted  
nor dull. Ibaren ran to the side of his despondent friend, for she had fell to her knees. Dederi covered her mouth with  
her Gauntlet-covered hand, and coughed as black and red blood escaped her mouth. She still bled red tears, even as her eyes  
closed. The Gundam pilots and senshi ran over to them, Duo carrying the still unconscious Trowa, surrounding their bloody  
comrad as she fell onto Ibaren's lap. They were all burned by the black fire, some having first or second degree burns  
across their legs, arms, and faces. Everyone heard the distempered sobs of their despondent comrad.  
  
"The first of many.." Ibaren whispered, stroking his bloody comrad's hair. The black fire soon ceased burning, only leaving  
ashes and debris of destroyed objects. Dederi's wings disappeared, as did her armor, leaving her naked to the world, spare  
the necklace which still undoubtedly hung around her pale neck. She was not unconscious, though at the seriousness of   
the moment, did not care whether the others saw her this way or not.  
  
"The first of many." Dederi echoed, bloody tears pouring down her cheeks.  
  
"So..does this mean.." Sailor Venus began, crystalline tears forming in her eyes.  
  
"Yes, Venus. The final battle has been foreseen. It is coming." Hakai answered before the question was even asked. "We  
must get to your mansion, Mr. Winner. It seems we have a lot of explaining to do."  
  
~  
  
It had been precisely an hour since the Peacecraft Square had been destroyed, and everyone had gone home to Quatre's  
estate. They were now in the living room, Hotaru attempting to heal everyone's wounds as they laid on the couches and chairs.  
Everyone, as you could possibly imagine, was worn and tired. Everyone's faces showed distinct signs of fatigue, and it  
was a miracle that they even stayed awake at all. They were eager and impatient to hear the sorceress's explanation of  
all that was occuring.   
  
Haruka slammed her fist down onto the table, instantly regretting it as the impact sent a pain shock up through her arm,  
but ignored it. "What the hell is going on?!"  
  
"The events that have been occuring are going along with one of the legends of Ancient Dragonn. I suppose the magi has  
told you of Tsurideragon?" She paused, then continued as she saw Ibaren nod his head. "You have then been told of the  
ancient demon emperor, Youhshiro. He was the one who created Kuroi's counterpart, Dederi. He had come back, I am afraid,  
to take her power and use it for the destruction of all dimensions." Hakai was about to continue, when interrupted by  
another one of the senshi, who were all now in their civilian forms.  
  
"Is Dederi truly the Dark Incarnate?" Ami asked.  
  
A groan cut into the conversation. Everyone's heads turning to the raven-haired assassin. She was sitting on the couch,  
rubbing her temples at an attempt to relieve her headache. "Yes, I am the Dark Incarnate. Youhko wants me dead because of  
it. When I'm dead, all hell will break loose with the Gauntlet of Chiosu broken. With my power amplifying him along with  
the Gauntlet, he will kill all of you as a sacrifice to hell, spilling your human blood across his floor in a specific  
symbol. It will create a gateway to hell and the Nine Gates, and every demon and youma that has been killed will be  
reborn and wreak havoc upon your dimension, soon spreading out into other dimensions, then there will be no more but  
desolate ground." Through her blood-stained eyes, she saw the senshi and pilots gave her a look of disgust and remorse.  
(AN: Dederi is wearing a robe!)  
  
"But you said that Youhshiro was the one who wants your power..what does that have to do with Youhko?" Duo questioned.  
  
"I should have told you this in the first place. Youhko is Youhshiro's human name. He and Youhshiro are one and the same."  
(AN: Hey that rhymes!)  
  
"So we'd have to protect YOU?!" Haruka exclaimed, aggravated. [I will do no such thing!]  
"No. You will not protect her. You are not strong enough to do so. You will only die at your weak attempt." A voice   
answered from the top of the stairs. Everyone looked up, and saw the halfling, Nova. Both of her arms had been bandaged  
with sterile cloth, and from what everyone could see, her abdomen and back were bandaged as well.   
"Are you all right?" Dederi asked calmly, not turning her head. She refused to allow her body to jump up and hug her   
partner.  
"Yes, I am fine. I see your true form has been caught at a glimpse." Nova walked down the stairs, greeted by a bawling  
Duo, who began to hug her. Nova instantly winced as Duo touched her bare skin. She was only wearing a sports bra and  
grey sweats. "Maxwell, get off me or I'll ki blast you." Duo instantly let go, but not before helping Nova to a couch.   
"Nova, are you sure you're all right?" Hotaru asked worriedly.  
A dark masculine voice entered the conversation. "Do not worry. She shall be in top physical condition by tomorrow morning."  
Yukio appeared next to the gloomy Dederi, a kind expression on his face. Haruka and Makoto scowled standing up slowly. Heero  
took out his gun and attempted to shoot Yukio, but he was not fast enough, for Yukio simply dodged the bullet without any  
effort. "I have made sure of it, as you have instructed." Yukio looked towards Dederi, who nodded in compliance.  
  
"What're you doing here, youkai?!" Makoto growled preparing to henshin. "Jupiter-"  
"Matte." Dederi cut her off before she finished her henshin phrase. "There is no need for another battle to commence. You  
would not stand a chance against him anyway."  
"Why, Kuro-chan! I'm honored you decided to stick up for me!" Yukio joked, only to be reprimanded with a fist buried into  
his stomach.   
  
"I thought I told you to leave once Nova was safe." Dederi took out her fist from the demon's stomach. Yukio inhaled  
and winced as the aftershock of pain coursed through his body.   
"Well, I wanted to see if you were all right.." Yukio stood up straight once again. "And since you are, I guess I should  
take my leave." He then disappeared, but not before turning to the senshi and pilots. "It has been nice meeting you humans.  
Take good care of Kuro-chan for me." Then, he was gone.  
"Well that was strange.." Duo commented.  
"Kuroi, take Barton up to his room and heal the rest of his wounds." Ibaren ordered suddenly, with a deep, stiff voice.  
Dederi immediately protested. "No way in hell, magi." Ibaren glared. He didn't want Dederi to be pressed with questions  
from the senshi and pilots. She had been through too much in one night. Dederi caught that worried glint in his eyes and  
sighed. "Fine." She grumbled, suprising everyone as she picked up Trowa with her arms and began to carry him up the stairs  
with ease. Or, that's what it looked like.  
  
Hakai nodded to Ibaren. "All right then, I suppose you people have an infinite number of questions for us to answer." She  
leaned against the living room wall nonchalantly, waiting for the questions to be thrown at her and her friends.  
"Why did Dederi act like that?" Minako asked, bravely being the first to ask a question. Everyone was wondering the same  
thing. Hakai gripped the cloth of her right turtleneck sleeve.  
"It's very painful to see her like that, Venus, as you have seen. When Dederi's emotions overwhelm her, one way or another,  
she becomes an empty shell, figuratively speaking. An example would be when she has lost hope. The emptiness that she   
feels causes her to enter a state of emptiness and depression. I know the magi has told you of this, but I might as well  
repeat it, seeing that you still do not understand the statement's meaning. If there is enough malice or bloodlust in herself  
when she becomes an empty shell, she becomes the evil which we have feared for years. The Dark Incarnate. She loses complete  
control..." A tear began to flow down her cheek. She gasped inwardly and looked away, quickly wiping away the tear with her  
knuckle. She cleared her thoughts then.  
Everyone saw the sadness the sorceress contained in her eyes. They somehow understood how much she cared for her friend.   
It must have definitely pained her and Ibaren when they saw her that way, seeing as they did know her for quite a long time.  
Rei broke the uncomfortable silence after a moment. "Why did that Inabikari woman call Dederi a 'dragon'?"  
"Self-explanatory, Mars." Ibaren answered. "Dederi and Kuroi are counterparts to each other, even almost the same being.  
You must have heard the male voice coinciding with Kuroi's, am I right?" He saw everyone nod. "That was the Dark Dragon's  
voice. Such emptiness and sorrow within Kuroi triggered the bloodlust her counterpart has, and her counterpart saw that  
as the direct time to manefest himself within his counterpart, resulting in complete embodiment of personality and  
strength." Ibaren was leaning against the wall, a few feet away from Hakai.  
  
"What triggered that emptiness?" Heero said with a monotone voice, his bandaged arms crossed as he stared at the magi.  
Ibaren remained quiet. He could not tell them about Trowa. But...[Are they still together..that's the question..after that..]  
He contained his anger to annihilate Relena Peacecraft (AN: WHY CAN'T SHE DIE!?..oh yeaah..i'm the author..^^;) for the  
pain she caused his close friend to have. He slammed his fist against the wall, causing a minor tremor throughout the house,  
growling at the thought of Dederi's utter depression. He then disappeared in a flash of blue light. Hakai looked onwards  
with sympathy.   
[He is truly worried about Kuroi.] Hakai thought, cupping her chin. [Dederi has taken to that pilot. So it is true, then.  
Her heart has softened once more. But I do not approve of this..I do not approve of THEM. They cannot be trusted. It will  
only lead to more pain for her once she leaves this dimension.] "I cannot tell you of the cause of her emptiness. I can  
tell she cares for you, one way or another." She then gave way to a small smile, suprising herself. "You must truly have  
made your separate ways into her heart." The senshi and pilots were taken quite aback by that statement. All that time,  
when Dederi had been mocking them, angering them, leaving them in the dark...she actually cared?  
"How is that possible..?" Quatre thought outloud.   
Hakai smirked at their confusion. "I don't know. She has a cold heart, a result from the past, her being the reincarnation  
and counterpart of a dragon that was born of evil. But I will be truthful with you." She stared softly at each of them.  
"She really is kind. The only thing that holds her back from being nice continually is her past. If you were in her shoes,  
you would see that it would be nearly impossible to forget it. She only shows her kindness when you least expect it.  
Trust the ningyo. Ningyos never lie, unless it's for a good reason." She winked. Hakai then began her trek up the  
stairs, when one last question was thrown at her. One of which caused her to stiffen.  
"Last question; what was that guy's connection with Dederi?" It was Wufei.  
Hakai sighed and stopped, refusing to turn around. "Whose?"  
"That demon, Yukio."  
She growled slightly, causing everyone to gulp nervously. She replied in a calm voice, despite her rising anger. [Damn  
him. He just *had* to bring HIM up..] Hakai closed her eyes. "They were in love." With that, leaving everyone, save Nova, in  
shock, she left them, entering the bedroom corridor, towards her bedroom which had been shown to her moments ago.  
  
Nova sighed, shaking her head. "This is getting complicated."  
  
Dederi's hands glided across Trowa's healed chest, a soft glow of crimson trailing her hands, closing off the remaining  
parts of the chest wound, his skin turning back to its regular, healthy, tan shade. Hotaru had healed his arms, but was  
afraid that she wasn't strong enough to heal such a large wound. Dederi looked towards the sheet which Trowa laid on. The  
pale white sheets were stained softly with blood, since she had put him on the bed to heal him and his open chest wound  
had spilled blood (obviously). Some of the blood had dried, though not all of the red liquid had fully evaporated. She  
turned back to Trowa, looking at his sleeping face. "You're so stupid, you know that..?" [You should have gotten out  
when I told you to..otherwise you wouldn't have gotten hurt.] She held up her right hand, and closed her fingers onto her  
palm, leaving her middle finger and index finger out. She put her two fingers on his eyes, softly feeling the skin of  
his eyelids. Her two fingers began to glow red, as did her eyes, suddenly turning into the dreaded silouetted orbs once more.  
She began to chant in the ancient language that few knew of, Trowa's dark green ki slightly glowing. Suddenly the glowing  
stopped. Dederi withdrew her fingers from his closed, tired eyes. She stood up. [No wonder...] "I should have known. Why  
did I miss it?" She looked monotonely at Trowa for a second, then for some unexplainable reason softened her gaze.  
  
"Musei to Tomei."  
  
Dederi left the room, shutting off the lights. She heard the soft, metallic 'click' of the brass as she shut the door,  
leaning on it when it was stable enough to be leaned on. [I should have known..That is the reason I did not turn you away.  
That is why I thought of you as having the potential to control such power..that is why I did not turn down you and Wufei's  
requests to learn how to channel ki..You two are the Chosen..] She stepped off from the door as she felt her  
body began to ache for rest on a soft bed. Dederi trudged to her room, leaving an unusual silence within the corridor.  
  
It had been about two hours since the conversation in the living room. Actually, it was more like an orientation about  
Dederi's history and manefestation, than an actual conversation. Quatre wondered if it was true. "Is she really kind  
and gentle like Ms. Saku said?" Or was it a joke? a trap? a mind-game? Quatre didn't know for sure. He held up his  
chrome watch, which delicately surrounded his right wrist. It read 11:45pm. "It's really late." A voice said in front of  
him. Quatre jerked nervously as he stopped dead in his tracks. He had been walking in the bedroom corridor towards his room.  
The lights in the corridor were shut off, causing Quatre to be partially blind as he wandered towards his room, though  
since he had been living in the mansion for quite a long time, that wasn't a problem for him. The problem was: who was  
it that said that?  
"Who's there?" Quatre said forwards, into the darkness, as he reached for his handgun.  
Ibaren walked forwards and stopped in front of the desert prince. "No need to worry, Winner. It's only me." Indeed, it was  
the aged, yet handsome, magi. His arms were crossed and he was in his dark blue cotton pajamas.   
"Oh. Sorry." Quatre put his handgun back into his khaki pocket. "Are you all right? You seemed upset a few hours ago."  
Ibaren waved it off. "You needn't be troubled by that. I apologize if the wall was broken when I hit it." Ibaren   
sweatdropped, rubbing the back of his head. Quatre shook his head and smiled.  
"No, everything's just fine. You didn't need to apologize."  
The magi took a breath of relief. "Anyway," He looked serious once more,"I was thinking about the necklace that Kuroi  
was wearing, and of its significance and purpose. Then I came to realize one personal fact that we all know, and I would  
like to see if one of my theories was, in fact, true. Mr. Winner, what is tonight's date?"  
Quatre looked strangely at his guest. "Why, it's November 13. But what does that have to do with Ms. Dederi?"  
  
Ibaren jerked nervously at that revelation. [Shimatta..] He sweatdropped once again. "Well, I guess I have some work to do.  
G'night!" And with strangely increased speed, ran off, in the direction of the stairs. He left a cloud of dust swirling  
in the dark corridor. Quatre scratched his head in confusion.   
"What was that all about?" He shook his head and continued his trek towards his room.  
  
Hakai appeared in front of the magi, who stopped in the middle of the living room after running out the corridor and down  
the polished stairs. She had her arms behind her back in a patient manner. Hakai wore a baggy dark, dark purple sweatshirt,  
which seemed a little big for her, and black flannel pj pants that had the words "MOODY ASIAN" imprinted all over. She  
also wore black fuzzy slippers. She had a delicate smile on her face as Ibaren nodded towards her and Nova. The beautiful  
halfling was sprawled out on one of the couches, reading a Jrock magazine that she found in the kitchen. She wore a black  
sweatshirt with baggy sleeves and large, dark orange stripes and matching black pajama pants, with dark orange frog  
fuzzy slippers. Both of the etherial girls' hair were down.  
  
"And you wouldn't believe me. Always trust a ningyo, magi." Hakai sneered.  
"Yeah, yeah. Damare, Saku." Ibaren glared.   
Hakai grinned. "Aww, the powerful magi feels guilty. He forgot his beloved's birthday." She faked a distressed expression  
as she put the back of her hand to her forehead. She giggled at Ibaren's confounded expression.  
  
Nova looked up from her magazine, a dazed expression on her face. "Beloved?"  
  
Ibaren growled. "What the hell ever gave you the idea that she was my 'beloved'?! I do not see her in any way more than  
a friend. I feel guilty because I forgot a FRIEND'S birthday. Besides, she has already taken to that human, as you have  
percieved." The magi of Dragonn crossed his arms and looked down at the floor.  
Hakai put her hand to her cheek. "Oh so it's true. You're jealous!"  
  
"I am not!" Ibaren looked up.  
  
"BELOVED?!" Nova roared. "But YOU'RE the one who seemed most supportive of their relationship, IBAREN!" She stood up.  
Hakai chuckled at Nova's aggravated expression as she attempted to choke the living out of Ibaren. "It was a fling."  
"Would-you--shut-up--Hakai?!" Ibaren yelled between choked gasps. Nova finally let him go, allowing him to breathe. Nova  
crossed her arms as Ibaren stood up straight, rubbing the part of his neck that Nova embedded her nails into. Ibaren  
sighed defeatedly. "She's not my 'beloved'. I'm over it, okay?"  
Hakai turned towards Nova and chuckled again. "Sei-chan, you should have seen him during the past four years you and  
Kuroi were gone. He barely even talked to us unless it was important! Whenever anyone brought up going to an underground  
club he would get all depressed! You know how we would all go as a group; everyone would go. But since you and Kuro-chan  
were gone, we would have to DRAG him down there." Hakai looked towards Ibaren and smiled softly. "Why didn't you tell her  
when you saw her again? Were you THAT suprised? Personally I prefer you and her to be together than that..that *human*."  
"Would you stop?" Ibaren sighed and sat on the arm of one of the couches. "For the last time, I'm over it."  
"Wow.." Nova looked sympathetically towards the spiky-haired, magic-weilding 'teenager'. "I never knew you felt that way,  
Ibaren-chan." Nova turned to Hakai. "Trowa-kun isn't that bad, Hakai-chan."  
"Eh, don't worry about it." Ibaren waved it off. "Can we please get back on the important matter at hand? We only have  
a few hours."  
"Right." Hakai nodded. "Let's go into the kitchen for some hot chocolate. We'll discuss the matter there." She then  
turned around and walked towards the kitchen, followed by Ibaren and Nova.  
  
"By the way, Seito." Ibaren said as he pushed open the kitchen doors. "Why were you choking me?"  
  
Nova laughed and entered the kitchen. "Because I felt left out." Ibaren sweatdropped and followed.  
  
Heero looked at her sleeping form as he leaned against the doorframe of her room, the soft scent of pine making its way  
into his lungs. His arms were crossed as he looked on, wearing a white tank top with light blue pj pants. He didn't know  
why he was here, standing at the doorframe of the one he cared for. In his eyes, she was, indeed, perfect. Her chestnut  
hair flowing freely onto her face, neck, and shoulders from the usual ponytail that everyone saw every day. She seemed  
so calm, so serene. She wasn't sprawled all over the bed, but just under the covers, hugging her pillow as if it was a  
stuffed animal as she slept on another one. He didn't know what to think. He just..stood there, watching, guarding, for  
only kami knows what reason. The only light came from the soft glow of the moon, which came through the lattice balcony  
doors. The glow made everything seem calm for the moment. Nothing stirred, nothing moved but the deep breaths he and  
Makoto took. Heero looked on, still leaning against the doorframe, which was about two yards away from Makoto's bed.  
  
"Reclaiming your humanity, Yuy?" A deep, feminine voice softly asked. Heero turned around slowly, regretting that he  
didn't have his handgun with him. He instantly calmed when he saw his rival for the title of 'Perfect Soldier', leaning  
against the shadowed wall across from him, her arms crossed. The raven-haired assassin wore dark red flannel pj pants,  
along with a matching long-sleeved shirt, although it was unbuttoned, and underneath a white camisole was visible to the  
human eye. She had a placid expression on her face as she softly looked at Heero's glare, unintimidated by his menacing  
look. Dederi stopped leaning on the wall, and casually walked over and leaned against the side of the doorframe opposite  
of Heero. She looked at the Jovian's sleeping form. She put her fingers to her chin, as if contemplating something.  
"You love her, don't you?"  
Heero stared at his rival. [Love?] He, suprising himself, shrugged and crossed his arms. Dederi turned to Heero, the same  
placid expression on her pale face. "It's true, isn't it? You have begun to reclaim your humanity that you lost long ago."  
"I don't know what you're talking about." Heero grunted, glaring at her.  
Dederi suprised Heero with a soft smile. "I want to give you some advice, even if you won't listen." [And..even if I don't  
follow it myself.] Dederi thought sadly, but continued as she saw Heero's confused expression. "I advise you to reclaim  
your humanity, Heero Yuy. Try as hard as you can. I'm not necessarily the right person to tell you this, but I suppose  
I'm the only one besides Maxwell to tell you off. Heero, humans are social creatures, as much as I hate to say it. You can't  
live alone your whole life. What I mean is, you may live with a lot of people in this mansion, but you always think that  
you're alone. You're not, Heero, whether you like it or not." Her smile continued on as she spoke. "You should trust what  
I say, Heero, to avoid heartbreak. You should reclaim your humanity, because it is something that I am not able to do."  
  
Suprising Dederi, Heero spoke. "You have reclaimed your humanity, Dederi. You have reclaimed it for quite some time.   
Otherwise, you wouldn't have friends. And you wouldn't be with Trowa." Dederi jerked and stared at her rival for a few  
seconds, then retorted.  
  
"How do you know?!" She glared and said in a deadly whisper.  
  
"It's easy to notice." Heero smirked. "You have smiled more often and been more open, if not nicer, to everyone else.   
How else could anyone explain why you were in the kitchen with Trowa at 6:30 in the morning? I'm very perceptive of my  
surroundings, as Perfect Soldiers would." He said that last part with a sense of sarcasm, which caused Dederi to chuckle.  
"Well, my rival. It seems you know me more than I know myself." Dederi chuckled. "I trust you won't tell anyone about  
the truth between me and Barton, even if we are at some sort of conflict at the moment. Us Perfect Soldiers must keep an  
air of secrecy about ourselves."  
Heero grinned menacingly at her. "I won't if I trust you won't tell anyone about our conversation tonight."  
Dederi grinned back at the prussian-eyed young man. "Deal." They shook hands. "I must ask you one more question, Heero."  
"What is it?" He asked.  
The girl smirked. "Would you consider me a friend or an enemy? For I must know what everyone thinks of me, to know of  
their perspective. Tell the truth. Otherwise I'll have to beat the truth out of you." She said the last part in a chuckle.  
  
Heero thought of it for a moment, then gave a small smile. "Friend." He paused, then added with a laugh, "And a rival."  
The young woman laughed along with him. "Well, it's nice to see friends smile, Heero. Do it more often."  
"And now I have a question for you." Heero chuckled. "Do you plan to keep the truth away from everyone for a long period  
of time?"  
Dederi stared, then smiled. She turned around, her back now facing Heero, and began to walk away. "That, my friend, is  
unknown, even to me. Be sure to tell Makoto of how you feel, Heero. I bid you a good night. Or early morning." As he looked  
at her, he laughed once more. He had to admit, it was nice to have a friend who understood how a 'Perfect Soldier' felt. She  
had actually managed to make him smile, something that no one had ever been able to do. [Good night, my friend. Maybe I will   
tell Makoto.]  
  
As soon as Dederi saw Heero go into his room to sleep, and had shut the door, she breathed a deep sigh of relief, or  
understanding. "It's very strange." Dederi whispered to herself. "Strange that my rival would be the one to convince me  
to reconcile with Trowa. Very strange. I don't even really know why I'm doing this." She gripped the bronze handle of  
Trowa's closed door, the metal feeling cold in her hand. She turned the knob and opened the cherrywood door, suprised that  
there was no creak as she held the door ajar. Her dark orbs immediately adjusted to the soft light in the room, given off  
by the moonlit glow which shined through the glass door windows of his balcony. She looked at his sleeping form, and   
judging by how smoothly he breathed, he was back to his normal, healthy state. Dederi involuntarily sighed in relief and  
contentment. She had to admit, she did care for him deeply. Dederi silently walked over and gently at on the bed at Trowa's  
left side. From what her eyes saw, the Latin pilot wore a white, long-sleeved unbuttoned shirt, his well toned muscles   
shown. He also wore his black and red thin-striped pajama pants, something that his sister Catherine had given to him   
last Christmas, as well as a small dogtag necklace. (AN: I based this from a picture, okay?)  
  
Dederi slowly took her right hand and used her fingers to softly trail the side of his face, his tanned skin feeling   
soft and feathery under her pale touch. Her slender fingers then trailed back upwards and stroked his right cheek, as if  
inspecting for any sign of illness like a nurse would. "I know I must seem strange, Trowa," Dederi said to him in a soft  
whisper, thinking that he was asleep and would not hear her, not knowing that Trowa was indeed awake and was now listening  
to her quiet words, "I apologize. If I had never come to your dimension, Youhko and his minions would have left without  
any noticable harm, and you would not have been so deeply hurt by Inabikari's attack upon you. I apologize for me being  
so stupid, to not think that Inabikari's empathic powers would have detected my feelings for you. I know you must now  
hate me..and I don't blame you, Trowa." She said these words with a sad tone. Trowa's eyes remained closed, although his  
heartbeat increased dramatically as she began to softly stroke his hair. He had heard the door open, but had not bothered  
to get up and ask who it was. A midnight conversation did not necessarily appeal to him, so he feigned sleep. But when  
he had heard her soft whisper, he hesitated opening his eyes to face her. Trowa felt ashamed: ashamed for not pushing  
Relena away from him, ashamed that he had not been able to help everyone in the fight against Inabikari, and ashamed  
that HE was the cause of most of her tears.  
  
"Trowa...I know that I am, indeed, the cause of this whole mess. Youhko only want my power and the destruction of all the  
dimensions, and I apologize for coming into your world, dragging you and the other Gundam pilots into it." Dederi continued,  
spilling out the pain and sorrow in her heart in a whisper. "You don't deserve to die, and neither do the senshi or the   
other pilots, and neither do my friends. I understand if you never want to speak to me again. I was unable to protect  
you and the others, and did exactly the opposite. By becoming my true form I put everyone's lives in danger..I could have  
killed anyone..I didn't want to kill you or the others..I was somehow able to concentrate solely on Inabikari, and   
succeeded in annihilating her..I felt like a was avenging you, but I knew somehow that it wasn't right, that it only   
increased the amount of blood in my hands." She paused, still looking at Trowa's 'sleeping' form, then continued. "You can't  
hear me, I know that. I suprised myself by coming into your room and actually telling you this. I honestly don't know  
about how I feel about you, Trowa. It's strange to me..it's strange that whenever you're near me my heart seems to warm.  
When I first came into realization that I was the reincarnation and counterpart to the ancient black dragon that was formed   
by the devil's energy, I thought it would've been best to just go accept it and regain my humanity so as to not become   
my true form, but..when I first became my true, original form..I killed mercilessly. I had no trouble killing   
my enemies before, as you have noticed, but when I was in that state, I killed so cruelly that I couldn't even think about   
anything else besides satisfying my bloodlust. I then decided to stay away from people, save my few friends. I began to doubt   
human emotions, and I thought I'd never be able to reclaim my humanity, so I just stopped." She chuckled nervously.   
"But a friend told me that I had already reclaimed my humanity by being with you, which I was strangely suprised at.   
But I guess it's true. Sometimes.." Dederi looked at the moonlight reflecting onto her pale hands. [Sometimes I feel  
as if I am in love with you.] She shook her head slowly, then slowly got up to leave, taking one last look at her 'sleeping'  
lover. She turned around and began to leave, when something grasped her right wrist. The assassin's eyes widened for a  
second.  
  
"Did you mean that?"  
  
Dederi turned to look at him again, and found that his hand had, indeed, grasped her right wrist, and his face was turned  
away from her. His eyes were open, his expression stoic yet..[Hopeful?] Dederi thought, then snapped out of her daze when  
she felt Trowa's grip on her tighten a little. "Of course I did." She said in a low voice. "I would not willingly lie  
about that." She looked at Trowa's calm expression. He seemed to be contemplating something. Something of much importance  
that he seemed to be so deeply perplexed to solving it. She felt his grip loosen slowly, but he would not let go of  
her hand so easily, that Dederi realized. Trowa, in the meantime, asked another question.  
  
"What is Yukio to you?"  
  
Dederi looked down slightly, as if afraid of Trowa's reaction. "He was an old friend..from when Tsurideragon first began.  
When the original Dark Black Dragon, Dederi, was assimilated, Yukio was his comrad, as well as his commanding officer.  
I recieved his memory when Dederi combined with my spirit. As soon as the bastard demon king sensed Dederi's presence, he  
sent his sisters to 'retrieve' me, so to speak. They failed. A few months had gone by, many more battles did as well. Then  
Ten'no Youhshiro sent his mercenary right-hand demon into the fray. And that was how I met Yukio for the first time, and  
how Dederi met up with him again. We hated each other for our differences. Later on I was required to go back to the  
original Dragonn Temple because of a destiny alteration. While I stayed there, I was confronted by him again. As you   
could have told by tonight, we became friends. But that's all we were, and all we are. I now even question our   
friendship, not knowing whether or not he is just using me to get the Gauntlet of Chiosu." Trowa still looked away,  
his eyes holding deep meaning of revelation and remorse. He felt even more guilty now.  
  
"Is that all you have to ask?" She questioned him softly, turning back to him.   
  
Trowa then sat up from his bed, finally looking at her with his mysterious emerald orbs. "You didn't need to say sorry."  
Dederi then stared at her lover in confusion, wondering if she had mistaken what he had just said. "Of course I did.  
It's all my fault that you and the others got into the mess." At that moment, Trowa softly pulled her to him, making  
her sit beside him on the bed. Trowa slowly put his lips to hers as he cupped her cheek, allowing the soft smell of  
lavender to once again flow into his newly-healed lungs. They parted. Trowa smiled slightly.  
  
"It's not your fault. I willingly agreed to help you and the senshi, and that is what i plan to do. Besides, I have  
done my share of mistakes and wrongdoings, if you do not remember."  
  
Dederi gave that some thought, then a slight wave of anger washed over her mind. A question appeared in her head, one  
that caused her hands to turn into her fists. "Why did you kiss her?" Trowa expected her to ask as much.  
  
"I suppose it was because I only expected Relena to force herself on Heero and not on me." Trowa answered. "Actually,  
with complete honestly, I don't really know. Mostly it was from shock."   
  
Dederi looked at him in all seriousness and asked with a growl, "Did you enjoy it?"  
  
Trowa stared blankly at her. "Of course not."  
  
The female assassin relaxed slightly, but not fully. She sensed a feel of uneasiness about him as he stared at her with  
his eyes. But, she being a thirdling with heightened senses and confused emotions, sensed another feeling. [Is he telling  
the truth? Or..] "Would you do it again if you had the chance?"  
"Dede-chan, you know I wouldn't. You must realize that I do not wish to hurt you [intentionally] and that every time  
tears fall from your cheek it pains me to see you in that state." Trowa said that from his heart and his soul, something  
that took him a while to get up the courage to actually say. Dederi realized that fact as well, upon seeing that his  
eyes were so deeply shining with..  
  
[Love...] Dederi thought of that word in her mind. [He..does mean it..] She smiled softly once again, leaning against his  
hand which was still cupping her pale cheek. She brought her face closer to his again, their lips meeting. His words  
and his lips on hers made her feel warm and happy inside, something that had never happened in her home dimension. He  
made her feel wanted, like she had a distinct purpose in her dark existence. Her friends, all of them, had made her feel  
the same way, but nothing like this. Nothing compared to how she, or Trowa, felt now. They parted again, looking into  
each others eyes. They smiled to each other, and met again, only this time with much more passion and fervor than the  
last. Dederi opened her mouth slightly, allowing Trowa to enter her mouth. They embraced each other as they kissed.  
Trowa softly pulled away from her, and began to kiss her pale neck, causing her to moan softly.  
  
And with another kiss, they lowered each other to the bed, Dederi's flannel shirt dropping onto the floor.  
  
~  
  
#She found herself at ease for some reason. Her mind was calm, serene, as if all of her troubles and distempered thoughts  
had just..disappeared. Dederi merely sat there, not even thinking about how the hell she got under a large cherry blossom  
tree which was surrounded by endless miles of grassy plain. She leaned on the bark of the young tree, watching the  
falling pink petals float onto her lap and the ground. But the peace was, in Dederi's opinion, shattered in an instant  
as a figure appeared in front of her. The figure was a woman, Dederi could tell, wearing an elegantly made white silk  
gown, reaching the floor and flared around her like rose petals. She had golden-yellow ankle-length hair, tied up in  
two buns at the sides of her head, while the rest of her hair flowed down around her. She had serene blue eyes, both  
of which were shining with kindness and love. The woman had an etherial glow about her as she stood, causing Dederi to  
cross her arms and close her dark eyes. "Sere-baka. What are you doing here?"  
  
The princess merely chuckled. "My, you haven't changed at all, Dederi-san."  
  
"Get to the damn point." Dederi growled indignantly. "I suppose you sent me here, to this place?"  
  
Usagi nodded. Her hands were folded in front of her modestly, like any princess would. "Yes, it is true. I have sent  
you here. You recognize this place now, don't you?" Dederi merely continued to lean on the trunk of the cherryblossom tree.  
"Yes, I do. It is a part of the royal gardens from your old palace. It spans out endlessly as an illusion. My only  
place to be alone." She answered monotonely. "But WHY have you sent me here?"  
The Lunarian princess sighed. "You will never change. But I guess I must get to the point. Dederi-san, Youhko has  
killed me by lack of soul, as you and the others have known. Mamoru has disappeared without a trace for that reason, and  
even his soul is not at ease. And since I am dead, there is no future successor to the Lunarian throne, and without  
the successor the Silver Millenium will cease to exist."  
  
Dederi nodded, her eyes still closed. Her usual black trenchcoat waved softly along with the passing wind. "So you now know.  
I am not the true successor. But what do you want me to do about it? What do I have that would save your dimension? I have  
my own dimension to take care of. I refuse to return to your dimension to merely serve as a queen. You know of my  
responsibilities. My past. Since you are dead, you now hold the key to eternal remembrance."  
Usagi merely looked on. "You know much more than what is percieved, Dederi-san. That is why I suggested you as the  
successor to Luna and Artemis. And that is also why I met with you tonight."  
"You still haven't told me why I am here." Dederi growled.  
  
"Dederi-san, have you ever wondered why Chibiusa appeared?"  
  
"Simple. She is from the future." Dederi answered. "But you are dead, which genetically makes it impossible for her to  
be your daughter. That is what I continue to ponder about."  
  
"Good, you noticed. Dederi-san, I did and do not want my dimension to be in complete ruin. The Silver Millenium must take  
place in its timeline for it to continue to coexist with other dimensions. I know you realize that. I have told you that  
there must be a Lunarian successor for the Millenium to take place, but since I am dead, there will be no successor  
unless Chibiusa is still born."  
Dederi was getting impatient. "I know all of that crap already. But what does it have to do with me?!"  
"Dederi-san, please. Have patience and be calm for what I am about to tell you." Usagi encouraged with a serene smile.  
"Chibiusa must be alive for the Silver Millenium to take place, so I have assimilated your spirit with her own."  
  
Dederi's eyes flashed open, and she stood up ferociously as she glared at the deceased princess. "NANI!?"  
  
Usagi kept calm (AN: SHE KEPT CALM? AM I SERIOUS?). "You are with child, Dederi-san. Do you not realize that? Why  
do you think you are so calm with Chibiusa? Why do you think you cared for her when she first arrived to the Gundam Era?"  
These questions seemed to bore into Dederi's mind like daggers piercing into flesh. It now made sense to her, but still...  
  
"Don't you think you should have asked me before you did such a thing, baka hime?" Dederi said in a deadly tone.   
  
"It was needed, Dederi-san. And I know you would not turn down such a request. I know deep inside your heart that you do,  
indeed, care for my daughter. I know that you would not hesitate to give your life in order to save her." Dederi had  
to sigh in defeat as she heard these words escape her old superior. She couldn't deny that she did feel protective  
of the small pink-haired girl. Dederi closed her eyes at the princess.  
"Is there anything else you need me to do?"  
Usagi smiled kindly at her old bodyguard. "I am sorry that you must carry such a burden, Dederi-san. But I know you will  
succeed. Since you are of another dimension and are a thirdling, and since Chibiusa's genes shall be different from  
before, she shall look different. You will see tomorrow how she has changed. And I'm guessing you also know that the  
father is Trowa Barton." Usagi grinned slightly as Dederi blushed. "I will not pry into your life anymore than I already  
have Dederi-san. You need not worry about me asking about your 'activities'." Usagi had to giggle.  
Dederi blushed even more at that statement. She growled at her. "Are we done, bakemono?"  
  
Usagi laughed softly as she nodded. "Yes, Dederi-san. We are done. But, I must ask you not to tell anyone, not even  
Trowa or Sets-chan, about this. They must not know just yet, for it might jeopardize everyones, especially your's, futures.  
Do you understand, Dederi-san?"  
  
Dederi nodded as everything around her began to mist into oblivion. "Hai. Mission accepted."#  
  
======  
AN: FINALLY!!! I'm finished! I apologize that this chapter is..WAFFY. I also apologize that there is not much Heero/Makoto  
and Nova/Duo in here. But there will be a lot of couplings in the next chapter, so sit tight, ne? Also, I must clear this  
up: Heero and Dederi/Kuroi are just friends! Same goes for Ibaren! I just had to put that one part about Ibaren because,  
well, it had something to do with the original series and someone-whose-name-will-not-be-mentioned requested that I   
clear it up. Get the picture? If you have any questions, requests, comments, etc. please review [if on ff.net] or   
simply email me!  
  
AN2: Please tell me in your review whether or not I should raise the rating from "PG-13" to "R".  
  
Email: ketsekiburade@hotmail.com 


	14. Brief Reunion: An Awaiting Catalyst

Lunar Succession  
  
Author: ~Heartless Spirit~  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own SM or GW. I DO own Dederi, so no stealin'! AND IBAREN TOO!!! NOVA BELONGS TO JESS-CHAN!!!  
(Youhko's my own character too, if you haven't realized that by now...) BTW, HAKAI BELONGS TO DIANE, MY TALENTED COUSIN.  
If you want to read Diane's fics, her pen name on ff.net is SNAPdragon! All other villains are mine as well..yes, it is  
a lot of characters. DEAL WITH IT. The other enemies are mine.  
  
AN: GOD WHY DO YOU PEOPLE NOT READ THIS FIC?? [For those of you who have enjoyed this fic this far, feel free to ignore  
this] IS IT TOO STUPID FOR YOU?!?! IS IT TOO CENTERED ON MY ORIGINAL CHARACTER!??!?!? WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH  
MY FIC?!?!? [ahem] Anyway, this chapter will mostly deal with a brief birthday party, more Relena bashing, a suprise  
that everyone will not believe... [darts eyes] Go on with the fic before I take out my Spatula of Justice and  
am chased by Usagi and Relena fans. [blows raspberry at the Usagi and Relena fans while they throw large, gargantuan  
objects at her] YOU CAN'T GET ME! NYAAA! FLAMES WILL BE TOLERATED WITH EASE! MARSHMELLOWS! MAARSHMELLOWS!!!!  
  
I would like to thank snapDRAGON, Shakunetsu Blade, and KC-RYN for staying with me and supporting this fic. You guys  
kick royal arse! ^___^ Also, as another thing..WHO IS "nameless and faceless"? He/She reviewed my fic, and I so humbly  
thank them for it, but..who is he/she? I think I know him/her [scary]. I would also like to thank EVERYONE ELSE who   
reviewed. Please continue to read this fic! Reviews are the only things that are getting me through the first three   
weeks of freshman year...:( Catholic high school is murder, I tell you!!! MUURDER!!!   
  
I scared these jocks in my science class, tho, which was fun. I kept saying "stupid mortals. you cannot comprehend   
beyond the veil of eternity" which kept popping into my head..and they were thinking i was gonna stab them..  
muahahahaha..okay i'm done..  
  
(Note: #...# = Memories or Visions;Dream Sequence)  
======  
Lunar Succession  
======  
Chapter 14-Brief Reunion: An Awaiting Catalyst  
======  
  
The steel corridors held within themselves; silence. Despite the increasing commotion from the above grounds, mobil suits  
launching into the skies, trained mercenaric soldiers recieving strict orders and what not, the corridors deep underground  
held a solemn ill-felt reverence about its eerie disposition. The only sound within the metallic halls were light,  
boot-oriented steps from a certain demon. He made his way silently to the futuristic 'throne' room, a stoic and glaring  
expression on his crimson red face. He was in his first demon form now, basking in the utter silence of the corridor  
as he walked. His hair had remained in its black, braided fashion, but his skin was now a soft crimson red color, and his  
eyes were not icy blue, but instead faintly glowed of dark blue and bright green. He was now in his mercenary rogue  
robes, consisting of dark red breeches and black combat boots with buckles and locks made from Demovalra. He also donned  
a black vest-shirt, covered by a dark red and gold breastplate. He was overrall covered by his usual ankle-length midnight  
black hooded cloak, although the hood remained down, showing his stoic, handsome face. He reached the steel double doors,  
a sort of pedestal at its right.   
  
The pedestal was rather plain, made from black and grey Demovalra, standing vertically at about one yard and six inches  
wide. Yukio briskly walked over to the front of the pedestal. He stared at its top for a moment, seeing a small black  
slit in the center with eight crimson buttons above it. He quietly placed his hand above the slit, his middle finger  
facing downward upon it. Suddenly, his hand tightened into a fist as the top of his wrist opened a small slit of its own.  
Yukio's face remained nonchalant and monotone as a small black blade came out of the slit. He had taken out his main source  
for blood, also known to himself as his emergency defense weapon, in case his Chinese Scimitar was taken out of his grasp.  
He slid the black dagger into the small, yet deep, slit on the pedestal. Yukio groaned painfully as a portion of his black  
and crimson blood was violently sucked out of his body. It seemed forever for him, his life force being excreted from him,  
in exchange for his superior's attention and presence. [Damn him. I swear, Kuro-chan. I'll see this thing through. Then we  
shall be together until the end of inevitable eternity and darkness.] He sharply pulled himself out of his thoughts as the  
blade slid back into his arm. Yukio had passed on his blood. It was the key to Youhko's destruction, that Yukio knew. The  
question was: Did Dederi know it?  
  
Yukio turned towards the steel doors, the two rumbling and groaning as they slid to their adjacent holes embedded into the  
steel walls. He stared monotonously as he walked through them, the chamber guards bowing slightly at his entrance. Yukio  
ignored the red chimeras' respectful bows and continued to walk past them, looking from the corner of his eye at the walls  
of the throne room. The walls were not of steel or Gundanium, but were merely, to lightly put it, alive. They were tainted  
a deep, bloody crimson, writhing and pulsating red veins on them as if the walls themselves were flesh. The veins were  
alive, using the blood of the slaughtered innocents and sacrificial beings to live on with the demons and undead. The  
pedestals near the walls held the same slits as the entrance pedestal did. [Doors to the deeper levels of hell.] He   
reminded himself of the inevitable screams from the other sides of the doors. They were so..."Horrid."  
  
"Come, rogue mercenary." A deep, stoic voice interrupted his thoughts. Yukio walked to the front of the crimson room,  
a large gothic, Demovalran balcony above him. A small set of stairs twisted to the high balcony on the right of Yukio,  
but he knew not to dare the higher demon and climb them. The balcony looked dark and brooding, stone-carved vein-like  
designs covering the railings and posts. The voice came from above the balcony, continuing its commands. "Tomi, Yukio."  
  
Yukio bowed down respectively on one knee, his right fist propping against the floor while his left hand on top of his  
left knee. "Yes, lord." He answered, a tinge of anger in his voice.  
  
"Why hast thee disobeyed my orders?" The voice asked. "Your emotions are in the way of our advance. Surely your feelings for  
the Dark Incarnate have passed since the beginning of the second war!" Yukio winced at Youhko's exclamation. Suddenly,   
the emperor's aura of anger and malice seemed to dissapate, calming down softly. "Emotions, my dear mercenary, are signs  
of weakness. Only the strong live and die without love or other human emotions. You will live this, Yukio." Yukio nodded,  
still bowing. He hid his increasing scowl from the powerful demon emperor, his bright green and blue eyes closed off from  
the visible world. Youhko continued unrelentlessly. "You are to be given a new mission, rogue mercenary. Find the   
Dark Incarnate once more. Make sure she, nor the magi or sorceress, does not make a dimensional portal. We must take care  
not to get more enemies, even with our limitless energy. This blood will fuel our battalions' bloodlust until we are fully  
aware of our final plans. Your future actions will not be taken lightly."   
  
A wave of dark energy flooded onto Yukio, piercing him with both, pain and increased strength. It was too much energy for  
him to bear, but, as the ways of a demon were, did not show weakness nor pain to an attack. They were not to give up on   
any battle, unless said otherwise. Yukio felt his emperor's mirthful aura. Youhko was enjoying his pain. Yukio shut his  
eyes even tighter, attempting to ignore the increased pain the energy was giving him. Too much energy was not good for   
anyone. All fighters knew that, as did Yukio. He felt his crimson flesh begin to boil, his body temperature rising sharply,  
causing Yukio to wince and grit his teeth. [I will not show weakness in front of him..] Yukio thought decisively as his  
superior ceased his 'disciplinary action'. He took this time to open his eyes, wiping the free-flowing blood which fell   
from his right eye. He had cuts and bruises all over his arms and back, the deathly cold chilling his body as he resisted  
the urge to fall over and die. Death was not an option.  
  
"Leave my sight for now."  
  
With that, the demon mercenary vanished in a flash of icy blue light, a trail of malicious emotions following him.  
  
The sun shined softly through Trowa's white silk curtains, which hung placidly in front of the white lattice, balcony doors.  
It was now about nine AM, approximately ten hours after the Peacecraft Square incident. Almost everyone remained sound  
asleep, for the aftermath of Inabikari's assault had weakened them, spiritually and physically. Not to mention that it  
was almost too much to bear for those who did not weild spiritual powers. For most of them, daylight came too soon.  
  
Trowa opened his emerald-tinted eyes blinked lazily as he woke from his well-rested slumber. He raised his right arm and  
put his hand to his eyes, yawning comfortably. Trowa rubbed his eyes, trying to get them to focus accurately. The sunlight  
wasn't too bright, only a haze of gold and white light, so it didn't hurt his eyes as he opened them fully. He felt   
something soft next to his left arm. Trowa looked over and found tresses of raven hair on it, leading to his lover, who  
was sleeping comfortably directly below it. The Latin pilot slowly propped himself up on his left elbow and reached over   
with his right to stroke her pale cheek. The morning haze-like glow illuminated her skin, making it seem like she was  
glowing, as if stars from the heavens had embedded themselves into her skin, melding together to form that glow that Trowa  
saw before him. He smiled slightly as he saw her deep, entrancing eyes open to face him. She smiled lazily, curling up   
against his warm chest, feeling an emotion that she had, before, only caught glimpses of. The Latin pilot bent down and  
gave the girl a light, feathered kiss on the cheek, before hugging her close, possessively and protectively.  
  
Dederi remained within his embrace, comforted and warmed by the feeling within her heart. She looked up at his face, which  
showed a rather pleasant smile. "You seem awake." She said cockily. Trowa merely laughed and kissed her on the lips,  
silencing her for a single moment. They parted slowly. After looking at her once more, Trowa sat up from his propped  
position and stretched. Dederi sat up as well, turning to the right side of the bed. She slipped on her white camisole  
which had been tossed to the ground the next before, along with her oversized dark flannel shirt, closing it over her  
pale body. Trowa had already slipped on his black and red striped pants and was putting on his white shirt, leaving it  
unbuttoned. He looked towards the young woman behind him, after making sure of his decency, and found her eyes glittering  
with contemplation and wonder.  
  
[The dream..] Dederi shook her head. [No, it wasn't a dream..vision..omen..Chibiusa..Serenity..damn her. Why did she choose  
me..why do I not kill the girl..assimilated with her soul..] "Damn you, Sere-baka."   
  
"Dede-chan?" A male voice asked behind her, waking her from her acursed thoughts. Dederi turned to her lover, who seemed  
to be in a state of confusion and worry. "What's wrong?"  
  
Dederi gave way to a small smile and reached over to wrap her arms around his shoulders, resting her pale chin against  
his neck. Trowa still continued to gaze at her in a confused way, although wrapped his own arms around her and lying back  
onto the bed. She laid on top of him, still hugging him closely. Dederi answered, "Nothing, Trowa. You're here, aren't you?"  
That answer caused Trowa to stare back in suprise. Dederi, taking this spare chance, kissed him fully on the lips. She then  
rolled off him and stood up. Dederi smirked at her lover's reaction. *~I'm going to take a bath.~* And with that, she left  
him, still lying on his bed.   
  
The raven-haired warrior reached Trowa's bathroom a few seconds later, closing the door softly. The mirror on the medicine  
cabinet was bordered by green and light yellow ivy, which originated from two vases on both sides of the low, adobe-colored  
sink. The handles and knobs were made from light cherrywood. Adobe tiles lined the medium-sized bathroom floor in  
intricate designs, the center of the room brandishing a rose-colored carnation made from darkened pine. Spanish-oriented  
mats lined the sides of the bathtub and shower, sewn with streams of dark reds, browns, and oranges. From the ceiling  
hung a light artificial ivory sconce, or rather, four or five of them. The bathtubs and showers were sort of painted in  
marigold and butter tints, shining faintly from the light of the ivory sconces. Dederi stopped in front of the ivy-strewn  
mirror, taking in her appearance in a single glance. She stepped closer to the glass, then bending down towards the  
bowl of the sink, her hands bracing the sides of it. [Damn you.] One of her hands unconsciously reached over and touched  
her abdomen. She had felt the change in her metabolism and bodily substances the moment she had woken up. [It is true,  
then. I am to bear the soul of a child.] She gripped the sink harder. [Damn you Serenity. Even if the reasons had been  
given, couldn't it not have been another? One of your senshi would have been better than me. I am not fit to bear a  
daughter.] She sighed, seeing that cursing the dead was neither, respectful nor helpful. Talking to herself would not  
help, either. Throwing her clothes onto the nearby coat hanger, she turned on the bathtub faucet, feeling the caress of  
hot water touch her skin. [How weak I have grown.]  
  
Ibaren felt a shock go down his spine, breaking his concentration on the enchantment which laid before him. Something  
was wrong, that he knew. He concentrated harder on breaking the barrier to the other dimension. [I hope he is ready. Hakai  
is growing impatient, as is Seito. Kuroi has a troubled soul. I only hope that they will cheer us from this momentary  
despair that we have all been caught in, as I also hope that I am doing the right thing.] The young-looking magi   
held his attention once again to the incantation which would inevitably break the barrier and fulfill the requirements  
of the enchantment. He felt energy pouring from the courtyard cobblestones, directly outside of the bustling kitchen.  
*~It's ready.~*  
  
Hakai laughed as she looked out the window, answering Ibaren's telepathy with a nod. She held the half finished cake  
in her hands, scented of ripe strawberries and fudge. The large baked good was made basically of fudge and milk chocolate,  
supported in two thick layers. The perimeter of the chocolate cake was covered in light, fluffy strawberry icing, as well  
as hot fudge, in a zigzag and ruffle design. The top of the cake was coated with a thin layer of the same strawberry icing,  
the words 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY KURO-CHAN!" in hot fudge syrup. Around the top of the cake was upturned, whole red strawberries,  
topped with dots of whipped cream and more hot fudge. It was definitely a delicious sight to see. (AN: And guess what! I'm  
going to attempt to make that sort of cake in Home Economics! DROOL READERS! DROOOOOL!)  
  
Nova was busy with wrapping Dederi's present, fiddling expertly with the white ribbon which was to tie the small present,  
along with the crimson wrapping paper. The box containing the gift itself was black with red stripes. After tying the final  
knot, the present was finished. The halfling set her present next to the black paper plates and glasses. She wondered what  
they had decided to give her, but had restrained herself from secretly opening the presents herself. "Hakai-chan, I finished  
wrapping."  
  
"You do realize that you didn't need to find her that bracelet. The portal and our visitors will provide enough excitement."  
Hakai smirked at her, setting the cake down next to Nova's present. Nova did nothing but shrugg and answer,   
  
"I just wanted to."  
  
Hakai chuckled, bringing up her hand to pull back the black wisp of hair which covered part of her eyes. She wore a  
shoulder-baring black turtleneck, which showed her creamy peach skin, as well as a silver celtic cross necklace and  
lilac cargo pants. The sorceress also wore black, steel-toed, ankle boots and crimson biker gloves, her hair in its usual  
large odango with gold hair beads holding it in place. As mentioned before, wisps of hair framed her face. Nova was adorned  
in orange jeans and a thick-strapped black tanktop with metal studs, along with white track shoes. Her hair was up in a   
ponytail, the ends of her highlighted hair seeming spiky. "You seem more attached to Kuroi than you had 4 years ago."  
  
Nova smiled. "I used to think she was a heartless reincarnation of the dragon who was and is derived from evil itself, but  
I suppose somewhere along the line I was proved wrong. She really isn't as bad or stubborn as she acts to everyone, that I   
am undoubtedly sure of. And I want to thank her for being a good friend," she then laughed, "and for saving my life more   
than once." Hakai laughed along with her.  
  
"She may be all of those things, Seito-chan, but she is more than a little stubborn." Out of no where, a pair of lightly  
tanned arms encircled Hakai, bringing her into a warm and cheerful hug. Hakai briefly wondered who the arms were attached   
to, but shook her head the instant she recognized the person's aura. She groaned at Ibaren's bad judgement.  
  
"You know doesn't bode well with Kuroi to talk behind her back." The masculine voice chided. Hakai rolled her eyes and  
pushed the young man off her, scowling at the grin he beared.  
  
"Bakarayo." She turned quickly towards Ibaren's entering form, resisting the urge to rush up to him and choke the living  
out of the magi. "You just HAD to bring HIM, didn't you?" The young man faked a sad expression.  
  
"Nice to see you too."  
  
"Damare, Yasuo-baka." Hakai retorted gruffily. The young man, presumed to be Yasuo, was rather well-built  
and tall, with mildly tanned skin. His deep violet eyes, held small, miniscule stripes of gold, giving off an etherial,  
bold emotion within them. He had wispy, soft, platinum snow-blue hair, covering a very small part of his eyes. This young  
man was rather stoic in appearance, give or take his slight cockiness and flirtatious flair. Wearing a black striped  
t-shirt, a baggy, dark red long sleeved flannel [unbuttoned] shirt, and navy blue cargo pants with black sneakers, he  
came off as a strange-looking handsome eighteen-year old. "You're too cocky, as always. Wasn't Jikana supposed to come  
instead of you?"  
  
"Ah, yes indeed, my strange female companion." Yasuo Hirotoshi answered in his light, yet deep, voice. "But, you see, the  
blue-haired Chronos Incarnate had to attend to other matters. In other words, youkai hunting. I assure you that everything's  
fine, and," He swiftly pulled out a small white and black box from his cargo pocket, "We have all pitched in to give  
our brooding friend a token of our affections." (AN: Ah, so eloquently he speaks..[drool] I love my characters..lol)  
He was then cut off by a bear-crushing hug by a certain half-youkai.  
  
"Yasuo-chan!" Nova chuckled, not noticing that his back had cracked considerably since he had been glomped.  
  
Yasuo coughed as he fell backwards onto the ground. "Ack! heh..good to see you too, Seito-chan.." Nova laughed nervously  
as she got off him. She stood up, dusting off her orange jeans. Yasuo laughed deeply as he got up, with the help of   
Ibaren, and handed the small box to the scowling sorceress. "Now, praytell, what are you scowling at?" Hakai looked at  
him and blinked. Yasuo looked at Hakai strangely. "You all right?"  
  
Hakai briskly nodded her head. She heard a slight patter of steps from overhead. The sorceress smiled and busied herself  
with the rest of the decorations of the large mahogany kitchen. There were streamers of gold and silk red, the morning  
sunlight emitting from the courtyard adding luminescence and a soft feel to the room. The cake was ready, a video camera  
was hidden above the overhead pots, and paper plates and cups were stacked neatly nearby. Everything was perfect.  
[Well, perfect considering we spent half the night cooking and decorating.] She let a yawn escape her, but refused to   
let the feeling of tiredness and fatigue come over her.   
  
Minako, Rei, Makoto, Ami, and Hotaru tiredly walked into the kitchen just then. They stopped abruptly as they looked  
at the colored decorations which draped around the room. It was rather morbid, in their eyes, anyway, although in some  
sentiment a reflection of their 'leader's' true self. They didn't know anything about Dederi, and they DEFINITELY did  
not know of her birth date. They merely stood there, clad in their respectively colored matching pajamas of marigold,  
scarlet, emerald, sapphire, and velvet.   
  
Makoto was the first one to speak up after the confusion of silence. "Saku-san, what are the decorations for?" Hakai  
merely brushed her off, ignoring her presence. She busied herself with making sure the fluffy, fudge-covered cake was   
within proper proportions, also ignoring Minako's hungry carnal stare at the delicious pastry. Makoto, slightly miffed,  
turned to Ibaren, who was leaning against the doorway leading to the cobblestone courtyard. "Ibaren-kun?"  
  
"Well, if you must know-" Ibaren began, but was distinctly cut off by a certain visitor who had many a glint in his eyes.  
  
"Ibaren-kun, you didn't tell me about taking in hospitality with these four lovely ladies." Yasuo walked over, looking  
at them kindly, yet mischieviously in a way. "You sly devil." Ibaren had to smirk, as if preparing to laugh at his  
reaction when Yasuo finds that there were more than just four girls in the estate. Oh, how his eyes will pop out.  
  
At this moment, Heero, Wufei, Duo, and Quatre arrived into the vicinity of the mahogany kitchen, also stopping to look at  
the decorations (or in Duo's point of view, the cake..^^;). Quatre looked on as Duo was repeatedly swatted from the cake  
by Nova. Wufei and Heero merely stood around the kitchen, contemplating the situation with a vague idea of what was  
commencing. It was at that point that Heero noticed the words on the cake, prussian blue orbs widening considerably at  
the sight. Makoto and the girls held back from giggling and Duo was doing a rather identical expression of that of a   
deer in front of an oncoming bus. Quatre and Wufei leaned over and looked at the cake as well, their eyes doing the   
same expressions as Duo's.   
  
Yasuo merely stared at the nine teenagers, confused as ever. Turning to the beautiful half-youkai, he asked exactly how  
many people lived in this vast mansion. Nova grinned.  
  
"Excluding Ibaren, Kuroi, Nova, and me...five young men and nine young women." Nova laughed openly as Yasuo did a  
remarkable expression of a fish out of water. In other words, he was unable to close his mouth. Hakai covered her mouth  
in the futile attempt to stop her oncoming laughter while Ibaren merely smirked at his human comrad's flabberghasted  
expression. Yasuo, however, shook his head a few moment later as he heard a shriek.  
  
"Chibiusa-chan!" Hotaru exclaimed, hurriedly rushing out of the kitchen, the mahogany doors swaying madly behind her.  
Everyone else, save the strange visitor and the three otherworldly warriors, followed suit. Yasuo blinked, turning to  
Ibaren who rolled his eyes at the now gone senshi. The magi calmly leaned on the central mahogany counter of the kitchen.  
  
"I take it you are confused?" Ibaren smirked.  
  
Yasuo nodded. "Yes. Very much so."  
  
Dederi tightened the fluffy white bathrobe as she finished putting it on, the soft cloth hugging the curves of her pale  
body like a fluffy second skin. Her raven tresses were dry, with the help of a blow drier which was now conveniently   
hung next to the ivy-framed medicine cabinet. The young assassin sighed despairingly, wishing for a solution for her  
overdramatic problem. Dederi stiffened slightly as a pair of tanned arms enveloped her into a soft, comforting hug. She  
relaxed a few seconds later as she realized that it was only her lover. She leaned onto his well-built chest, the enchanting  
smell of sage and clover making its way into her lungs.   
  
"I take it you have finished your bath?" Trowa whispered seductively into her ear, tickling her. Dederi chuckled and turned  
to gaze at him, wrapping her arms around his waist in the process. The Heavyarms Gundam pilot wore his black and red   
pinstripe pants along with his white long-sleeved shirt with dogtag necklace. (AN: unbuttoned, of course. [bats  
away Trowa Barton fans] BACK! BACK! HE'S MINE I TELL YOU! MINE!) He had a rather strange, satisfied grin on his face.   
Dederi simply kissed his cheek.  
  
"What do you think?"  
  
Trowa smirked at the girl's retort, bringing his face downward. He nuzzled her neck affectionately, Dederi melting from  
his touch. Alas, this tender moment wasn't meant to last...  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Dederi and Trowa opened their eyes simulataneously and stared. They broke off from their close embrace and headed off,  
towards a certain Lunarian heir's room. The female warrior ran ahead of Trowa, down the bedroom corridor. She found  
her future daughter's bedroom door ajar, the brass handle nervously held by a shocked Hotaru. Dederi growled at the younger  
gothic senshi, a spark of anger flashing from her eyes. "What happened?"  
  
Hotaru did nothing but stare at the little girl before her, distinctly ignoring Dederi's angry interrogation. Dederi   
forcefully shoved Hotaru into the room, causing Minako and Makoto to look back in response. The Gundam pilots were on the  
other side of the room, staring at Chibiusa with confused eyes. Quatre was desperately trying to comfort the slightly  
crazed Lunarian, but to no avail. Trowa entered soon after, his emerald eyes widening considerably as another pair of  
green eyes stared back at him. Dederi inwardly gasped at her future daughter's complextion.  
  
A small girl stood in front of her, completely confused and slowly becoming mad. Her skin had gotten slightly darker,  
although still kept that light, crisp shade of peach. Chibiusa's hair remained at the same length, although it shined of  
black and chocolate, no longer sugar pink. The young Lunarian's eyes had also changed as well: they were still large  
and innocent looking, but no longer tinted red. The softly-colored orbs were shaded a deep, forest green, much like her  
future father's, though no one knew of that fact. Dederi's maternal instincts reluctantly surfaced from the shadows of her  
heart, taking over her mind. The assassin shoved past the rest of the senshi and pilots, her white robe flailing at her  
swift movements. She sat down on Chibiusa's bed, the dark red sheets wrinkling at the sudden pressure. (AN: Ok, so it used  
to be Dederi's room..oh well!)  
  
Dederi put her two fingers to Chibiusa's neck, feeling her pulse. [Temperature's risen, pulse seems normal, though.  
Strange...is this the change that Sere-baka told me of?] "Chibiusa.." Dederi whispered her name, tilting her face downward  
to look at Chibiusa's confused and scared expression. "Chibiusa, daijobu ka?" The small girl merely stared back, obviously  
in shock. Dederi instantly stiffened. Her future child's behavior certainly disturbed her calm disposition. It worried  
her to no end. Dederi grasped Chibiusa's shoulders. "Chibiusa.."  
  
Chibiusa blinked, her emerald orbs wavering slightly. Finally, she gave a response. "De..Dederi-chan?" Dederi gave way to  
a small smile, suprising the senshi, Wufei, Duo, and Quatre. Heero and Trowa merely smirked. The Latin pilot walked further  
into the room, putting his hand on Chibiusa's shoulder. Chibiusa looked into Trowa's eyes, not knowing that he was her  
future father. "Trowa-san?"  
  
"Yo, kid, you okay?" Duo's voice entered the quiet conversation.  
  
"What happened to me?" Chibiusa asked in a weak voice. "I look different. And..and..I feel different too.." Her weak voice  
worried everyone. It wasn't like her to be so quiet. She would usually be jumping around and asking for hot chocolate  
right about now.   
  
"Chibiusa-chan, do you remember anything happening last night?" Makoto asked gently. Chibiusa merely shook her head. Dederi  
stiffened in response, and for some reason Trowa felt an ache of resentment and sadness coming from his lover. Trowa's  
eyebrows furrowed. Something was definitely different. Dederi picked Chibiusa up and settled her into the crook of her  
right arm. Chibiusa gripped Dederi's pale neck, though not enough to suffocate her. Dederi used her other hand to   
stroke Chibiusa's hair at an attempt to stop her shivering.   
  
Dederi comfortingly whispered into her future daughter's ear, "It is all right, Chibiusa. Everyone's here. We won't let   
anything happen to you. Nothing is wrong now." She continued to stroke the young female's hair, feeling Chibiusa's  
tension dissapate. Chibiusa's face gave way to a small smile, a rush of emotion flooding her emerald eyes. The little  
girl hugged Dederi.  
  
"Arigato, Dede-chan.."   
  
The pale teenager stared at the young girl in suprise. "Er...let's...get you some hot chocolate, ne?" Dederi inwardly  
sighed. [So much energy, too many mood changes. Shimatta, what've I gotten myself into?] Chibiusa fervently nodded her  
head.   
  
"Hai hai hai hai!"  
  
And with that, Dederi and Chibiusa filed out of the bedroom, leaving the rest in a confused, staring mess. Trowa had  
to smile. [She is openly displaying her emotions. I wonder what caused her to display them.] (AN: Trowa is silly..lol go  
on..ignore my senseless ramble.)  
  
Yasuo tapped the mahogany counter with his fingers, patiently waiting for the return of the large group of people that he  
did not know of. "Ibaren, how long does it take for Kuroi to get to the kitchen?" Ibaren didn't do anything, except   
shrugg, at his friend's impatient question. Nova was inspecting the rest of the decorations; Hakai was taking out the  
chocolate fudge cookies from the steaming oven. She hummed softly to herself a certain song which she kept dearly within  
her emotionally callous heart.   
  
Damp tears course down my cheeks  
  
Flowing through me without my own callous redemption  
  
It is you the cause of my desperation  
  
You do not understand the path I take  
  
The emotions which will not surface once again  
  
Facadous smiles thrown away to the path of hypocrisy  
  
Yasuo turned to her as the sound of the enigmatic melody made its way into his ears. He chuckled at her. "I take it you  
still remember Dregaki?" Hakai slapped her forehead exasperatedly.  
  
"Anata baka, of course I do." The sorceress answered, a tint of aggravation in her voice. "How couldn't I? You and your  
little band played at every underground club in Tokyo." She then used her fingers to show quotation marks and quoted  
her next piece of dialogue in a deep voice. "Dregaki is the number one underground Jrock group in Tokyo. Led by the  
handsome Yasuo Hirotoshi, Dregaki is certain to take the dark-music world by STORM."  
  
"Ha ha ha. Very funny." Yasuo replied sarcastically. "When is that dark-haired woman coming down? You know I have other  
pressing matters to attend to."  
  
Ibaren's eyebrows raised. "Oh? Do you mean the youkai hunting or the endless throng of fan clubs which tend to your every  
whim?" Yasuo glared at the magi, who merely smirked and took the pot off the stove. The pot was filled with a delicious  
concoction of tomato soup, thick and rich with flavor and seasonal herbs. Sure, semi-hot fudge cake and tomato soup  
in the morning wasn't necessarily a good combination, but the others will deal with it. He poured the hot contents of  
the pot into a black-tinted glass soup bowl, which sat next to the large thermos of hot chocolate and bowl of citrus  
lemon punch.   
  
At this moment, Dederi pushed the kitchen doors open. She calmly walked in, not noticing the platinum-haired visitor  
from her home dimension staring suprisedly at her. Dederi looked at Chibiusa, who stood close to her right leg, and  
smiled softly. Ibaren laughed at Dederi's ignorance of Yasuo, causing Nova to giggle and Hakai to smirk. The dark-haired  
assassin turned to look at Ibaren and the two girls, a look of confusion in her blackened eyes. It was at that moment  
that she noticed the platinum blue-haired Jrocker.  
  
"..." Dederi merely stared at him, the latter's face breaking into a soft grin. Yasuo casually put his hands into his  
pockets.  
  
"Nice to see you too, karasu." Yasuo greeted, his cocky debonair smile showing itself. Chibiusa, who still stood beside  
the black-haired young woman, stared at the tall, smiling man with confusion. She didn't understand why Dederi stood  
still, her breath caught in her pale throat. The young man walked over to Dederi and slung his arm around her. "You miss  
me?"  
  
======  
AN: blah blah blah blah blaaahhh...  
  
Email: injusticepilot05@hotmail.com 


	15. Penetration

Lunar Succession  
  
Author: ~Heartless Spirit~  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own SM or GW. I DO own Dederi, so no stealin'! AND IBAREN TOO!!! NOVA BELONGS TO JESS-CHAN!!!  
(Youhko's my own character too, if you haven't realized that by now...) BTW, HAKAI BELONGS TO DIANE, MY TALENTED COUSIN.  
If you want to read Diane's fics, her pen name on ff.net is SNAPdragon! All other villains are mine as well..yes, it is  
a lot of characters. DEAL WITH IT. The other enemies are mine.  
  
AN: Okay, okay..so there wasn't a Mako/Heero moment in ch. 14...but there *might* be one somewhere in here...it will  
be slightly inconspicuous in some parts..so you'll have to read the whole thing! Muahahahahhaha! Anyway..*cough*..  
in the last chappie Yasuo Hirotoshi appears. He is rather close to Kuroi/Dederi, friendship-wise. Yasuo seems to be  
a suprise birthday present, in a way, but what is his TRUE purpose for making his unannounced appearance? Is he the  
catalyst of upcoming events which will foresee the final battle? dun dun dun...  
  
AN2: As a future note the 'Musei to Tomei' thing will be explained later. But in 'reality', Musei and Tomei are not  
actually in 'Tsurideragon no Chionikuresu'. -_- Maybe they should be..guest appearances! no i'm kidding. no..really.  
I am. Stop staring. Really. Stop...STOOOP! @_@ [Musei to Tomei is s'posed to be Sight and Purity..i think..] if i   
screwed up the translations please tell me in your review and tell me the correct words!!! ^^;  
  
(Note: #...# = Memories or Visions;Dream Sequence)  
======  
Lunar Succession  
======  
Chapter 15- Penetration  
======  
  
trou d'enfer- hellhole  
capo- coward  
  
Dederi stared at the self-proclaimed 'model of masculine [mortal] perfection'. The raven-haired warrior blinked, then  
proceeded to sweatdrop profusely as Yasuo's arm refused to budge from its place around her shoulders. "Hirotoshi-san."  
  
Yasuo let out a comical, toothy grin. "So you HAVEN'T forgotten me!" He then hugged her with both of his nicely tanned  
arms, losing his previous aloof, calm disposition and replaced it with a happy, joyous one. Dederi blinked, then sighed  
from slight resignation. She hugged him back. The girl looked past her friend's back and glared at Ibaren, who attempted  
to fake a serious expression, although it didn't seem to hide his amused look. Ibaren, as expected, burst out laughing.  
Nova was already rolling around on the kitchen floor, holding her sides, and Hakai was suprisingly not doing to well  
either. In other words, Hakai had bent over, laughter emitting from her usually calm voice. Dederi glared at all of them.  
  
"I'm quite glad you find my glare amusing." Dederi replied dryly.  
  
"Aww, come on, karasu. I haven't seen you for four years. Did you expect me to just smile and wave when I came here?"  
Yasuo put on his face a hurt expression, his enigmatic eyes glittering with sadness. Dederi groaned and slapped her  
forehead.  
  
"That's not what I meant." Dederi put her left arm around his waist. "I missed you too. You know even I would miss  
my friends after a long period of time." Yasuo smiled handsomely and put his arm around her waist in return. A little  
child tugged at Dederi's white robe, causing the older teen to look downward. "Oi, don't worry, Chibiusa-chan. He is a  
friend." Dederi released her soft hold from her friend's waist and picked Chibiusa up, once again settling her in the  
crook of her right arm. "Hirotoshi-san, this is Chibiusa-chan, my fut-friend." Dederi quickly caught herself. [Damnit!  
Why'd I almost say 'future daughter'?! I'm losing it.] "Chibiusa-chan, this is my friend Hirotoshi Yasuo. He's from my  
home dimension." Chibiusa merely nodded and smiled cheerfully.  
  
"Well, young Chibiusa. As you have been told, my name is Hirotoshi Yasuo. You can call me Yasuo, though." Yasuo shook  
her pale hand. For a moment, his eyebrows furrowed, although replaced it with a disarming chuckle. [She bears a striking  
resemblance to karasu. I wonder...is she the prophesized girl who is to be the daughter and heir of the Dark Dragon of  
Tsurideragon? I will have to implore information from the magi later on.]  
  
Hakai snorted. "No need to be repetitive, you idiot."  
  
Yasuo smirked. "Better to be polite than gruff and stubborn, ne, Hakai?"  
  
"Shut up." Dederi and Hakai glared simultaneously. They both knew quite well that he was implying to them both. The young  
woman with the raven locks settled Chibiusa down next to the-[cake?] Dederi blinked. "What is this cake for, may I ask?"  
  
Yasuo, Ibaren, Hakai, and Nova laughed as Dederi's eyes widened a notch after proceeding to read the elegantly written  
words on the warm fudge-strawberry chocolate cake. Dederi smiled; it wasn't a fake, superficial smile, but a genuine look  
of gratitude and happiness. She then ran over and suprised the two girls, Nova and Hakai, with a warm hug. "How did you  
know?"  
  
Ibaren laughed as Dederi released her devastating hold on the two girls and had his turn to hug her. "I asked Quatre  
what the date of this dimension was and it turned out to be the night of your birthday. We sort of felt bad that we didn't  
know, so we decided to make it up to you by getting Yasuo here. Even if is *was* supposed to be Jikana instead of him."  
  
"So where's Jikana?" Dederi inquired. "The genius studying her ass off again?"  
  
"Jikana's tracking down another youkai in Tsurideragon. She said not to worry and that all of us wished you a happy   
birthday." Yasuo reassured. "And, yes, technically she's still studying for mid-term exams. Shiriten, though, is doing  
quite the opposite." He took the time to shake his head. "Those nightly street races of hers are killing her grades as  
it is."  
  
"Thank you for coming here, hakuchou. Your presence is much appreciated. At least now I won't have to worry about you  
as much." Dederi chuckled as she put her left index finger on Yasuo's chest. "You know Shiriten loves her adrenaline rush.  
Stop being such a prick..."  
  
"Yesterday was your birthday, Dederi-chan?" Chibiusa asked, beaming with excitement.  
  
Dederi smiled and poured a cup of steamy hot chocolate from the thermos Ibaren had put on the kitchen counter, next to the  
food and other delicious drinks and delicacies. She handed it gingerly to her future daughter, who continued to look at her,  
awaiting the obvious answer.  
  
"Hai, Chibiusa-chan." Dederi said kindly. "I am now officially eighteen." After the question had been answered, Chibiusa's  
smile continued to grow. She sipped her hot chocolate carefully, as it was still quite warm. Dederi proceeded to turn back  
to Yasuo, a grin gracing her pale lips. "I suppose you have another reason for coming here, despite my birthday. What is it  
you wish to talk to me about, hakuchou?"  
  
"Ah, always to the point." Yasuo answered with a wry smile. "But I suppose I shall have to put that reason to rest until   
later." The Jrocker pointed towards the opened doors. "Your senshi and pilots have reentered the vicinity of this kitchen."  
  
"For the last time, we are not HER senshi!" Rei growled angrily, but was quickly silenced by Makoto's slender hand.   
  
Haruka gruffily sat down next to the Lunarian heir, taking in her surroundings. She graced the chocolate cake with her eyes,  
then asked, "Your birthday?" She pointed to the cake.  
  
"Hai." Dederi answered blandly. Her fingers unconsciously touched the unbroken necklace that Yukio had given to her the   
previous evening, before Inabikari's death; before the rising of the Dark Incarnate; before the prelude to the final  
battles of eternal darkness. It vaguely reminded her of the second war, when she had first met him. Despite their  
anger and obvious differences, they were kindred spirits. They both knew it. The Demovalran charm was also a reminder  
of the deaths she had caused in the past, much to her own chagrin.  
  
A pair of arms encircled her waist, lifting her up from her seat opposite Chibiusa. "Karasu, don't get all moody now. You  
have got to remember that this is your birthday party!" Yasuo laughed as Dederi's mouth emitted a feral growl. "Everyone  
missed your birthday for four years and I refuse to let you continue being depressed and aloof!" Dederi continued to growl.  
She gruffily punched Yasuo on the arm, allowing more room for her to escape from his loving grasp. Yasuo proceeded to let  
her go, nursing his now bruised arm. "Itai itai itai..."  
  
"Serves you right," Nova laughed. "Touching a girl like that!"  
  
"You're no fun..." Yasuo groaned.  
  
Ibaren and Hakai burst out laughing, as did the rest of the residents of Winner mansion. Although, Hakai was laughing for  
a completely different reason from the rest. Dederi rubbed her temples out of aggravation. "Hakuchou, you know I don't like  
it when you do that."  
  
"Anou, gomen nasai..just don't hit me again..itai.." The usually aloof character of Tsurideragon held such a comical, wide-  
eyed expression that even Dederi couldn't help but chuckle slightly. Yasuo sighed as he watched the lavender/crimson bruise  
disappeared into the epidermis of his body. It was as if he had not been punched at all, much to the suprise of everyone  
who did not know of Yasuo beforehand.   
  
"Let me guess...you're an all-powerful legendary warrior with a cocky attitude, right?" Rei asked with a dry expression.  
Every single person in the room could tell she was rather aggravated with anyone who was friends with Dederi. [Jesus, not  
another one! Even if he is a bishounen. Kami-sama what the hell is going on?] At the question, the handsome Jrocker laughed,  
a feral and sly grin gracing his lips. The inner senshi, excluding the fuming pyrokenetic teenager, practically swooned  
at the sight. Heero resisted the urge to glare menacingly at the young man. (AN: hahaha, I'm guessing Dede-chan's words  
got to him...^_^ wooo I've gone psychotic..bring on the egg nog!)  
  
"Women are the ones who remain cocky." Yasuo grinned. "And I am certainly not an all-powerful warrior. I am merely a  
young man who remains faithful to karasu, here."  
  
"Very funny." Hakai replied to his statement with distinct sarcasm. She slapped the backside of his head lightly. "You're  
such a baka."  
  
"So...you're a familiar?" Ami interrogated with her soft voice.  
  
"Anou, iie." The Jrocker replied. "I am merely associated with these 'lovely' friends of mine. Frankly, I don't even know   
what you mean by a familiar."  
  
Ibaren grinned handsomely as he walked over, a sharp kitchen knife in his hand. "Anou, Kuro-chan. You do realize you're not  
going to escape this small party of yours, ne?" He placed the mahogany handle of the knife briskly into the birthday girl's  
hands. *~You know I won't let you.~*  
  
*~Bakemono.~* Dederi telepathically retorted, grasping the knife in her pale, slender hand. *~You are more idiotic than  
Maxwell and Minako put together.~*  
  
*~I resent that.~* Ibaren glared. *~Don't compare my actions with their bumbling antics.~*  
  
"At least I'm not a pretty boy jackass like Hirotoshi." Dederi smirked as she stated the insult aloud. Hakai and Nova, who  
had been listening to their open-telepathic conversation, began to laugh fervently. Yasuo slapped his forehead in   
exasperation. Wufei laughed softly, suprising the rest of the Gundam pilots. Apparently, he had a vague idea of what  
had taken place a mere seconds ago.   
  
"Now, if that isn't flirting I don't know what is!" Hakai joked, holding her sides at another attempt to cease her unending  
laughter of mirth and amusement. Ibaren and Dederi hastily began to deny anything other than friendship between them,   
causing Hakai to laugh even further. (AN: Jeez, they sure seem to laugh a lot in this chapter. =_=) "Oi, I was just joking.  
Seriously, loosen up! You two are like Yasuo during an episode, for Kami's sake!" The result was the furious blushing of  
the smooth-talking Jrock star. Trowa, Setsuna, Heero, Wufei, Makoto, and Haruka looked on bemusedly at the antics that the  
Jrock singer executed.  
  
*~Let me guess. It was Shiriten's idea to push hakuchou into that portal?~* Nova stated silently to Ibaren as she,  
once again, swatted away Duo's hand from the hot fudge cake. "Osage-baka you stop that. Kuro-chan gets first cut."  
  
"Actually, it was Shiriten's and Jikana's idea. They were both quite amused at Yasuo's shocked disposition when he   
was pushed through. They even tossed the small gift of theirs at his head to snap him out of it." Ibaren replied with  
an amused grin. "And Maxwell, do stay away from the cake until it is properly cut...or else I'll cut you." At that  
warning, Duo slinked away from the cake, sitting at the far end of the counter on one of the mahogany stools.  
  
"You're so mean, Iba-kun." Nova scolded, but did so with a slight giggle.   
  
"Dede-chan, cut the cake already!" Duo whined.  
  
*~You're hurting my ears, Maxwell.~* Dederi slapped her forehead.  
  
Duo screamed a scream that would rival Minako's and Relena's combined (AN: HAHA FORGIVE ME!). "What the hell  
was that?!" Wufei grinned mercilessly as he, once again, knew what had happened.   
  
"I think telepathic messages are a little to hard to handle for Maxwell, even if he's heard them from you before."  
  
Dederi nodded. "Must be true. But you have caught on quite easily, haven't you, gaksei?" [Now I am sure you are Tomei,   
Chang Wufei. Your soul must have survived the incarceration from the Gate.] The Chinese pilot of Shenlong Nataku  
merely smirked in reply. The raven-haired assassin then proceeded to comply to Duo's whine by slicing the cake into  
equal sections (AN: It was a big cake. XP). The fudge slowly flowed down the creamy sides of the luscious confection,  
making it tantalizingly pleasing to the eye and stomach. Some of the senshi already held hot chocolate in their cold  
hands, which warmed them to the point of bliss (and they tasted good too! ^_^).   
  
"Dederi-kun, you never did tell us that you're a telepath." Minako stated as she blissfully swallowed a piece of the  
chocolate strawberry that had been skewered by the black plastic fork she held in her dainty hand. "You have a lot of  
secrets in that head of yours, ne?"  
  
Dederi merely smirked at the Venusian's statement. "Hai. Not that my secrets have any relevance to you."  
  
"You're so cold, Dede-chan." Makoto countered in Minako's defence. Dederi chuckled inwardly as she recalled her and Heero's  
interesting conversation earlier that morning. She was definitely interesting. Dederi had known Makoto to be one of the  
most forceful of the senshi, as well as one of the strongest in brute strength. She was graceful in her actions, albeit  
thoughtless, and it seemed that she was the most overprotective, other than Haruka, of the rest. She was also one of the  
most cheerful, that Dederi knew when she had been called up by Chibiusa into that infernal white dress.  
  
[Now that I have taken a closer look, it seems they have a lot more in common than I have previously percieved.] Dederi   
grinned knowingly. Makoto was certainly brave, since she had practically been the first one to attack her in the Winner  
Mansion; Heero was brave because he had been the first one, in the Gundam Era, to shoot her. Usually, her shield would  
have been revealed, but since she was truly not supposed to reveal that she had more powers than Serenity had and that  
she was more focused on keeping Nova unharmed, she was vulnerable to a man-made bullet. [Oh well. What has happened  
has happened.]  
  
Dederi sat down on the small, circular table across from the central mahogany counter. It was made of mahogany and  
refined cherrywood and was finished brilliantly, for it shined like spiders' silk in the morning rain. The raven-haired  
assassin settled her slice of fudge cake, which sat delicately on the black plastic plate, onto the surface of the  
table and began to eat. She had to smirk. *~My favorite. And here I thought you had forgotten, Hakai.~*  
  
"Oh, it's nothing." Hakai answered amidst the silence of the kitchen. "I would never forget such a delicious recipe, let  
alone your favorite cake." She sat down beside her and began to partake in her slice.  
  
"This is so good!" Duo exclaimed inbetween munches, causing some globs of fudge to drip from his mouth. Nova, Wufei,  
Quatre, and the senshi wretched at the sloppy sight. "You have to tell me how to make this!!!"  
  
A distinct 'WHAP' could be heard as Nova slapped a napkin onto Duo's mouth.  
  
Trowa, unnoticed by everyone except Dederi, Ibaren, Hakai, Heero, and Wufei, sat down next to Dederi, his slice of hot  
fudge cake already half eaten. He resisted the urge to smile, and his resistance was almost immediately caught by his  
lover.   
  
*~And you're resisting, why?~* Dederi asked him amusedly.  
  
Trowa's eyes widened slightly, but suprised Dederi by smirking. He mouthed to her, "Because others still do not really  
know that I laugh or smile without thought." And by saying that, she understood. Her mouth gave way to a small, amused  
grin. Dederi placed another piece of cake into her mouth.  
  
"You know, Dede-chan," Makoto interrupted Trowa and Dederi's silent conversation as she sat down across from them, "You  
really should lighten up about things. Don't you ever have fun like going dancing or singing kareoke?"  
  
The girl in question merely shook her head, the raven tresses falling loosely onto her shoulders as they escaped from her  
loose white ribbon. "I do not do such frivolous things." It was then that everyone heard a mirthful laugh from Yasuo, who  
had also made his way over to the small breakfast table, his mug of hot chocolate in hand. He had a playful smirk on his  
face, and his eyes seemed to almost glow of amusement and disbelief.  
  
"Oh, come on, karasu. You *know* you've done frivolous things before in Tsurideragon. You played sports, competitions..."  
  
"That, hakuchou, is different."  
  
Minako, ignoring Dederi's previous sentence, asked, "What else did she do? Did she sing? Dance?"  
  
"I think that all of us know that she danced, seeing as she danced with that Yukio demon last night." Heero brought up  
in his usual monotone. He was aware of his friend's glare, but was unaffected, seeing as he had seen it before. "Don't   
glare at me."  
  
"What gives you the right to not tell me who to glare at, Yuy?" Dederi mock growled.  
  
Heero smirked. "I was only stating the truth."  
  
Dederi mock growled again, although no one (besides Heero, Ibaren, Hakai, and Nova) noticed that she was merely playing  
with him. Only Ibaren and Nova noticed that Heero was playing back. *~I'm not the one who's afraid to show his emotions  
to a certain *girl* that HE likes!~*  
  
Heero glared. "I am not afraid of anything."  
  
"Nisei."  
  
"No, I am not."  
  
"Nisei."  
  
"No, I'm NOT."  
  
"Oookay, then." Duo said, completely confused. "He-man, that's the most I've heard you say in a NORMAL conversation! Well,  
as normal as you two can be, anyway." A point blank look at the barrel of Heero's gun and Dederi's inhumane glare shut him  
up. [Never thought I'd see the day when Dede-chan and He-man had a 'yes/no' glaring match. Heh. I guess hanging around  
social people finally got to 'em.]   
  
(AN: ha! time for another annoying note; nisei means 'untruthful' in Japanese. BE EDUCATED! WOO!..wait..O_o; *cough*  
ANYWAY! ..er..too much humor...well..too many *attempts* at humor..hehe I'm better with romance and danger, ne?)  
  
*~Come out...~*  
  
"N..Nani?" Dederi answered. Everyone else merely thought she was talking to Duo, er, arguing with Duo, so they just went  
about their own conversations. Although, Trowa somehow noticed her stiffen and her anxiety suddenly increase.  
  
"Dederi, what's wrong?" Trowa whispered cautiously.  
  
*~Come out to the courtyard. I am waiting...~* The voice sounded weak.  
  
"Iie. Nothing is wrong." Dederi answered gruffily, catching Ibaren and the two girls' attention. Nova discreetly elbowed  
Yasuo, who was flirting with Makoto and Rei (much to Heero's glare). Yasuo turned.  
  
"Nani?" Yasuo answered her slight jab. "What'd you do that fo-"  
  
"Damare." *~Something is wrong.~*  
  
Yasuo's brow furrowed slightly as his eyes turned to his pale comrad. He nodded in understanding, although as he fully  
turned to Dederi, his eyes held worry and confusion. His violet eyes narrowed, the gold stripes within them shining.  
  
"I'm going to go outside for a moment."  
  
======  
AN: Well...I call this chappie my "kami-sama this sucks arse" chappie. -_-; In other words, I didn't like this chapter   
very much..ah well..this is the shortest chapter I've written...after I started writing really long ones..ah well..I'll  
make it up, dun worry.  
  
Email: injusticepilot05@hotmail.com 


	16. Open Flesh

Lunar Succession  
  
Author: Anegel Trinton  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own SM or GW. I DO own Dederi, so no stealin'! AND IBAREN TOO!!! NOVA BELONGS TO   
  
ESS-CHAN!!! (Youhko's my own character too, if you haven't realized that by now...) BTW, HAKAI BELONGS   
  
TO DIANE, MY TALENTED COUSIN. If you want to read Diane's fics, her pen name on ff.net is SNAPdragon! All   
  
other villains are mine as well..yes, it is a lot of characters. DEAL WITH IT. The other enemies are mine.  
  
AN: Wanna know a song that would REALLY go well with this whole chapter? Bring Me to Life by EVANESCENCE! Well..  
  
actually this song would go with it when the whole fiasco gets a little worse [deals with Ibaren a bit]...  
  
well..anyway...Bring Me to Life by Evanescence still goes well with this chappie..^^  
  
======  
  
Lunar Succession  
  
======  
  
Chapter 16: Open Flesh  
  
======  
  
"I'm going to go outside for a moment."   
  
Dederi hugged her waist as she closed the lattice door behind her. She gazed softly at the roses which had  
  
been replanted the day before. They were beautiful; the late morning dew glistened on them as if they were   
  
crystal sculptures of etherial beauty. It was marvelous how they shined against the morning sun, as they  
  
glowed just as bright as the sun did. The scene was picturesque, in fact; red rose petals were strewn   
  
across the grey cobblestones of the courtyard. The wind, blazing with unseen anger, raised the raven locks  
  
of the Dark Incarnate, imprisoning her face in an invisible mask of darkness. Her eyes were shadowed over,  
  
unseen by anything or anyone. Her silk white robe billowed around her as she crossed her arms. She walked  
  
slowly to the form who sat on the rim of the large, stone angel fountain, her bare feet feeling the soft  
  
touch of the petals and, in contrast, the cold, relentlessness of the stone floor.   
  
The gasping form before her was the demon that had given her the Demovalran necklace that hung on her neck.  
  
He was bleeding profusely, cuts and jagged burns all across his scarlet red skin. His eyes held the same  
  
neon green monotony, but the emotion held within them said otherwise. *~Kuroi...~* He whispered softly in  
  
her mind, his tone held relief. His bloody lips curved into a smile, albeit a small one. Yukio's hand  
  
held to his side; it was obvious that this was the place that he had lost the most blood in. A pool of  
  
blood had been spilt around his armored feet and his armor had been broken. His black-red hooded cloak laid  
  
next to him in a sloppy fashion, seeing that it had partially fallen onto the ground.   
  
"Yukio, what happened to you?" Dederi asked. Though hidden by shadow, her eyes held deep remorse; she felt  
  
that whatever happened was her fault.   
  
Yukio looked up, his breath ragged and hoarse. *~Youhshiro.~*  
  
"I see." Dederi was now standing over his hunched form. She placed her pale left hand on the side of his head,  
  
tenderly running her fingers through his blood soaked raven hair. It had been unraveled and the braid which  
  
had almost always been orderly was now disheveled. "But you survived." As she glanced at his bloodied face,  
  
Dederi realized that he had been holding a defeated grin.  
  
*~He grows weary of my failures.~* Yukio answered. *~So...I take it the Dark Incarnate has revived?~*  
  
Dederi nodded.  
  
*~Then...~* He breathed out softly as he continued the telepathic conversation, *~Why are you hiding your  
  
armor in that robe of yours?~* Dederi had to smirk at his perceptiveness.  
  
"It is because they still fear me. How did you know of it?"  
  
Dederi closed her eyes and smiled ruefully, pulling the silk cord which tied her robe around  
  
her. The silk cord unraveled and fell from the silk robe loops. It remained limply in her hand as the silk  
  
robe itself opened, revealing the legendary red breastplate and black armored pants, along with the pelvic  
  
armor and demonic combat boots. The shadow on Dederi's eyes lifted, revealing the small, entrancing eyes  
  
of the deepest black and red. The dove white robe fell gracefully around her feet, revealing her flawless,   
  
pale peach skin, albeit with long scars from the previous night, the twisted fingerless right glove, and  
  
the aged Gauntlet of Chiosu. In all its splendor, the Gauntlet shined mysteriously in the morning light.   
  
Dederi closed her eyes softly and arched her back, floating into the air as the mysterious black and  
  
white-boned demon wings sprouted from her back. Black feathers flew everywhere around the courtyard as she  
  
raised her arms from her sides to her chest. A gasp escaped her pale rose lips, the familiar black and red  
  
blood flowing from her left eye. The blood dried to a stripe, touching the side of her lips and the end of  
  
the left side of her chin. The transformation became complete once more; she landed back on the ground.  
  
*~Of course I know. How could I not know?~* Yukio answered breathlessly (literally..er..continue). *~You  
  
are still beautiful.~*  
  
Dederi smirked, hugging her sides as the coarse wind blew, her hair flowing like a sea of black silk around  
  
her pale face. Yukio couldn't help but marvel at the sight before him; he never grew tired of his love's  
  
mysterious and enigmatic complextion. "Why are you here?"  
  
Yukio exhaled, and for the first time that morning he spoke aloud. "Because...I wanted..no, needed to give  
  
you something." He strained to pull out something from his armor pocket, which was stained with his own  
  
dried blood and sweat. The bloody mercenary pulled out a vile, which contained a dark crimson liquid. When  
  
he pulled it close to his face, Yukio smiled, his sharp fangs peeking out from his mouth. The vile began  
  
to glow with etherial energy and a single black orb appeared in the center of the contained liquid.  
  
"This is a sample of the experimented demon protoplasm. I took it from the containment chamber after I was  
  
'disciplined' by Youhshiro." He said his superior's name with such malice and distain now. "The enlarged  
  
nucleolus was injected with human and valkyrian blood and energized by a few drops of melted Gundanium ore.  
  
This sample is one of the successes of the demon experiments. Some others were failures. They also  
  
proceeded in taking out the genetic information that controlled their instincts. When the demon protoplasm  
  
matures, it will evolve into a new form of science-born demon called Kaibutsusei X31, type A-39. The project  
  
began even before I was employed by the Ten'no, and even before the Second War. I don't know how they  
  
produced or managed the experiments, and I do not know when they will be matured enough to be released,  
  
but I do know this." He then strained to hand her a piece of paper, which was partially drenched in black  
  
demon blood. "This is a copied note of Youhshiro's scientific methods to the human familiars from Rommefeller.  
  
Although, despite all the information you and I now possess, the chances of defeating all of these   
  
monstrosities and destroying the culture chambers are small. Lives will be lost."  
  
Dederi closed her hand onto the small piece of paper, tucking it into her right glove, gingerly avoiding the  
  
spikes. She ignored the wet sensation of demon blood against her pale skin; humans would have grimaced at  
  
the sight and screamed painfully at the touch of the blood (if you don't remember from the beginning, the  
  
demon blood is poisonous to humans because of their lack of spiritual awareness and strength). "I see that  
  
you have gone to great lengths to give me information."  
  
Yukio nodded.  
  
Dederi held the vile in her right hand, gazing ruefully at the protoplasm it held inside. "So it will grow  
  
into Kaibutsusei." She tucked it safely inside the hidden pocket inside her elevated claw-like shoulderplate.  
  
The girl closed her eyes. "What are the chances, in ratio, that we would be able to defeat them?"  
  
"Depending on attack strengths, thirteen (13) out of fourteen thousand (14,000)."  
  
She smirked. "So we have a chance?"  
  
"Yes, albeit a small one." Yukio grimaced as he drew his hand to his right shoulder. "Although, in this   
  
condition I am not sure I will be able to defeat more than three." He groaned painfully. "The poison of  
  
Youhshiro's attack is setting in." Dederi's eyes narrowed at the bloodloss, walking closer to him until  
  
her face was directly in front of his. She lifted his disheveled bangs and inspected his forehead. There  
  
was a deep gash where demon flesh would have been. Black blood seeped through the thin bandage he had placed  
  
and multiple shades of purple had begun to set in.   
  
"This deep gash could not have been set by Youhshiro's disciplinary movements, if by energy." Dederi concluded  
  
thoughtfully. "You received this from stealing the protoplasm, ne?" She felt the edges of his wound, which  
  
had been burned and cut jaggedly. "It is infected. Had you not time to treat it?"  
  
"From the time it took to escape those impudent guards to the time I fell to this courtyard, I was too   
  
focused in keeping the vile from breaking." Yukio groaned. "If the vile touches any form of skin when it is  
  
not mature, it will act as a form of miasma and surround the epidermis. The immature miasma will feel like  
  
acid and dissolve the infected skin. It could penetrate any form of epidermis, eventually infecting major  
  
organs and nerves."  
  
Dederi sighed aggravatedly at the lengths her previous superior had gone to in order for humanity to be  
  
annihilated. She released the burned skin from her gentle touch. "I cannot believe he has gone this far.   
  
Using human resources to destroy. The sailor senshi and pilots will not be able to handle this without  
  
severe injury, nor even I."  
  
"And what of your first friends? The halfling, the magi, the sorceress?"  
  
"They will survive for the time being, but I cannot be certain."  
  
"Why are you," Yukio groaned as Dederi touched his side, which turned out to have a gaping hole, "Why are you  
  
so concerned for the senshi and pilots?" He grit his teeth as the young woman felt around through the torn  
  
and infected skin. His crimson demon skin was burning with the white hot pain of an enemy energy sphere.  
  
Dederi shook her head in uncertainty while she removed his abdomen plate of Demovalran armor, inspecting  
  
the hole with fervent interest. "I do not."  
  
"Then why do you protect them?" Yukio asked solemnly.  
  
"It is because of their involvement. I have enough innocent human blood on my hands. I do not need the blood  
  
of Mercurians, Jovians, Martians, Uranians and the like on mine. They are all proud races of living beings,  
  
those of which cannot be ignored. Despite their stupid and innocent acts, I refuse to let them die. If they  
  
do die, only their blood and spirit will remain. Their blood will only add to the final incantation of  
  
Ten'no Youhshiro."  
  
"Are you certain that that is the only reason for your protective involvement with them? I had half expected  
  
you to be infiltrating the Valkryian base by now." Yukio said wryly, although frowned as he said his next  
  
sentence. "Your emotions..."  
  
"What about them?" Dederi said monotonously.  
  
"They lie with the human...don't they?"  
  
Dederi turned away from his piercing gaze, putting both of her hands on the gaping, bloody hole as she knelt  
  
down in front of him. Her hands were greatly stained and dripping with black demon blood. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"I would like to know who I have lost to."  
  
"Yukio..." Dederi stopped her inspection in shock, her hands frozen in place. The young woman's breath  
  
was caught in her throat. "I suppose no explanation will help you to understand..."  
  
Yukio shook his head, the bloodsoaked hair lifting itself from its sticky hold on his forehead. "I suppose  
  
not. After all, I am a demon, and demons were not meant to have emotions. You said so yourself last night,  
  
that I remember." He moved his left hand from its rest on the stone rim and cupped her cheek, staining it  
  
with more of his own blood. Yukio gently rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "Your eyes glow with fire still.  
  
I once had that effect on you.." Dederi closed her eyes and stood, the welcoming touch of his hand to her  
  
face ending. "It is unfortunate that I have lost to hi-"   
  
"Yukio, you still do." Dederi whispered into the calloused wind. Yukio stared into her endless orbs of black  
  
and crimson. Despite his body's pained and screaming protests for him to remain still, the demonic mercenary  
  
stood. Yukio looked straight into her eyes, feeling the familiar emotion of love and unrestricted devotion  
  
flooding into his calloused heart. "You still do, but..." He silenced her with a finger to her lips.  
  
Ibaren felt a shock go through him as he sat in the mahogany chair. He narrowed his eyes. [Something is   
  
very wrong.] *~Yasuo, Seito, Hakai. There is a fell voice in the air and the stench of demon blood is blinding  
  
my sense of smell. Do you concur?~* He ran his right hand through his spiked raven locks, the sidebangs  
  
wafting with the sudden movement. *~I feel pain and confusion emitting from the courtyard.~*  
  
Nova's facial expression turned from comical to grim. She sniffed at the air softly, then winced. The halfling  
  
stood from her mahogany seat, sniffing at the air and narrowing her eyes in determination. Her gruff voice  
  
disturbed those around her. "Youkai." Nova's eyes were mere slits of violent anger and tempted malice.   
  
"He has returned."  
  
Hakai gave a small nod to Nova and Ibaren stood from his seat. Yasuo looked onward in confusion, as the  
  
rest of the pilots and senshi did. He scratched the back of his platinum blue hair, feeling the soft caress  
  
of the etherial tresses fall through his fingers. "What is going on? I do not understand."  
  
"Is something wrong with Dederi?" Setsuna wondered outloud. There was a definite tinge of concern in her  
  
calm, collected voice.  
  
Heero reached into his pocket and pulled out a handgun, the dark metal shining against the kitchen ceiling  
  
lights. The rival for the title of 'Perfect Soldier' held the gun behind his back, expertly loading the  
  
magazine cartridge without a sound. He clicked the safety off, although with the current moment nobody noticed  
  
except the half-youkai.  
  
"Make haste, Perfect Soldier." Nova said in a sharp whisper. "Your chance to avenge your friend's anxiety  
  
is at hand." Heero's usually monotonous eyes widened in shock at her knowledge, then went back to its cold,  
  
steely gaze. He nodded to her slowly. Nova walked calmly to the lattice window near the door.   
  
"What is going on?" Makoto asked worriedly. "What friend? What do you need to avenge, Heero?"  
  
"Yeah, what exactly is going on?" Haruka glared.  
  
Heero looked at her with his prussian blue orbs. "A friend whom you all take for granted. I need to avenge  
  
her pain. For what she has done for me, I will return in favor."  
  
[Her?] Duo scratched his head. "Hee-chan, do you have a girlfriend we don't know of?"  
  
"There is no time for your foolish questions, osage-baka." Wufei growled, unsheathing his katana with   
  
fervor. [If the magi is this worried then that must mean the demon of sensei's past romance has returned to  
  
'talk' with her.]  
  
*~You're certainly a great student, Wufei Chang.~* Hakai told him telepathically. *~Dederi has helped to tone  
  
your skills and perceptiveness very well.~*  
  
Trowa nodded and got up from his seat, leaving his chocolate cake behind on the mahogany table. "Ibaren, I  
  
suppose this little celebration has come to an end?" He said in a sad tone, although no one noticed the  
  
emotion in his voice. Ibaren simply nodded as he joined Nova and Hakai at the window. "I see." He was about  
  
to go for the lattice courtyard door when Ibaren held his left arm out to stop him.  
  
"Stop. We will go when she goes."  
  
"Magi, we need to stop that demon from getting to her again." Wufei walked up to him in an aggravated voice.  
  
"She is returning to the land of past spirits, within her mind, if not body. Her mind is fraying inbetween  
  
her thoughts. Her emotions from the dead are coinciding with the future, although they are not settled  
  
within her mind just yet."  
  
"Then how do we help her?" Ami asked earnestly, ignoring the pang of confusion in her intelligent mind.  
  
Hakai closed her eyes sadly. "We can't. She must choose her own way. We will assist when we can. For now,  
  
we watch until the demon is more vulnerable than he already is. Even with the bloodloss, he is still more  
  
powerful than even that deceased NeoQueen of yours."  
  
Yukio looked into her eyes, losing himself in the darkened pools of oil and blood. His finger remained  
  
to her lips, which were stained with demonic blood. "I have already lost, haven't I?" Dederi couldn't answer  
  
his question/statement with certainty. From the previous night, she realized how much she was in love with  
  
Trowa Barton, the pilot of the Heavyarms Gundam. She would not forsake that gift and miracle that had been  
  
endowed to her, even if it meant forsaking her past. Yukio noticed the contemplating look on her pale, bloodied  
  
features, and sighed softly. "Kuroi." He cupped her chin delicately as he looked straight into her eyes.  
  
"Kuroi, I will never forsake that love that we had before all of this. Even if I am driven to sacrifice my own  
  
spirit for yours to live, I will do so without hesitation. For your happiness."  
  
"Yukio, please." Dederi whispered. "I am not worth being thought over. I am not worth being saved. I am only  
  
worth death and destruction. Demons have no emotions and you should know that."  
  
"Kuroi," Yukio whispered back, "For the last time, you are worth everything to me. Without you, I would be  
  
incarcerated in Ten'no Youhshiro's dungeon. Kuroi, have you not realized that I am-"  
  
[Still in love with her.] Ibaren felt a small trickle of water flow down his right eye. He looked down onto  
  
the floor, his beautiful eyes shadowed. "I cannot allow this to happen again."  
  
"Allow what to happen again, Ibaren?" Quatre interrogated calmly.  
  
"I cannot allow him to..." Ibaren muttered the rest of his sentence. Yasuo caught the rest of the sentence,  
  
seeing as he was standing right next to him. The Jrocker narrowed his eyes angrily.  
  
"Damnit." Yasuo cursed. "It's him, isn't it?"  
  
"Hai." Wufei answered patiently as he leaned on the right side of the lattice door, away from the window.   
  
"I am not completely aware of your pasts, Hirotoshi-kun, but I do realize by now that the demon you are all  
  
so heavily concerned about is not liked and that you are angered every time he nears Dederi-sensei."  
  
"Yukio..." Yasuo growled hoarsely. "Why is he here?"  
  
Nova sighed. "Yasuo, please have patience. I know that-"  
  
"Why is he here?!" Yasuo interrupted aggravatedly.  
  
Hakai mumbled, "He still does..."  
  
Yasuo bared his teeth, showing his small fangs with anger as he growled. He slammed his black plastic fork  
  
onto the mahogany table, leaving a permanent scratch on the well-polished surface. "DAMNIT. Why, of all  
  
people, does *he* have to come back?!"  
  
"He never died." Ibaren said solemnly, although his eyes held unbidden anger towards the bleeding youkai of  
  
Ten'no Youhshiro. It was always him that resurfaced all of Dederi's confusion and past insecurities, leaving  
  
her in a state of indecision. [A tragic flaw. It is unfortunate that Kuroi has to go through all of this once  
  
again. Despite all that we have gone through, he still manages to return and attempt to gain Kuroi's affections  
  
with fervent interest. Alas, we still do not know whether or not he is merely toying with her emotions to  
  
'help' her to lose her humanity.]  
  
"You seem to be in a state of pondering, Iba-kun." Ami commented amidst the nervous silence of the mahogany  
  
kitchen.  
  
Ibaren had the smile at the petite young woman's intelligence and perceptiveness. He did not turn to face her,  
  
for he continued to watch as Yukio held his comrad's chin in his bloody hand. "I am afraid so."  
  
"Well why can't we just go out there and stop that demon from doing any more damage?" Rei asked. "I mean,  
  
even if we all know Dederi can hold her own against demons, wouldn't it be better if we assisted her in some  
  
way rather than just standing around in the kitchen?" [Why the hell am I worried?] Rei pondered. [Don't I  
  
hate Dederi?]  
  
Nova shook her head, her light brown/blonde tresses wafting around her. "We cannot do anything until Kuroi  
  
makes her own decision."  
  
"What do you mean?" Trowa interrogated.  
  
Heero and Wufei seemed to be contemplating the exact same thing as they looked straight at Nova with expectant  
  
eyes.  
  
"The stripe on her face." Nova used her right index finger to outline her left cheek from her eye to her   
  
lips and chin. "It is derived from her demon blood. The stripe did not mean anything the night before because  
  
of the fact that the dragon had just been awakened. But now that the Dark Dragon has been revived and now   
  
consciously coincides with Kuroi's spirit and body, the stripe bears a striking relevance to the vein of  
  
the Gauntlet of Chiosu."  
  
"The 'vein'?" Setsuna wondered outloud.  
  
"How is the 'vein' relevant to her decision?" Ami asked.  
  
"It is a nickname for the protruding blade on the wrist of the Gauntlet. The blade is connected to the   
  
weilder's blood and major veins. It is mostly used to transfer blood to the pedestals in Youhko's fortress.  
  
The blood of demons are used as passcodes. If one demon should not have enough blood, the demon is sucked  
  
dry of its remaining blood. He or she then proceeds to either disintigrate or be used as introphenostene  
  
for new, cultured demons. It is relevant to her decision because if she chooses a path that will lead to  
  
inevitable destruction, the vein of Chiosu will then signify her turn against light into darkness. It shall  
  
turn black, showing that she has chosen to lose her humanity forever."  
  
"Why would they do such a thing to their own kin?" Makoto asked angrily. "Even if demons are merciless, I   
  
have seen those who care for their own kind."  
  
"They do care for their own kind." Nova answered sadly. "Although, despite their bonds, the weak perish.  
  
It is the way of Tsurideragon, and it shall always be."  
  
"You make your dimension seem savage." Michiru commented quietly, playing with a strand of her hair as she  
  
contemplated about the 'vein'.  
  
"It is not savage." Hakai growled softly. "It is merely the way we go about our lives. Although the ancient  
  
Tsurideragon temple still tends to those who are weak and decrepit, we of the Temple still go against the  
  
demons with no compassion. They must be destroyed, even if humans are to be sacrificed."  
  
"You...you cannot." Dederi breathed out. Her hot, moist breath warming Yukio's bloodied hand. "You cannot have  
  
such feelings for me. Youhko...no, Youhshiro will have your head and your demonic blood...He has reprimanded you  
  
for your actions before, you cannot take such a risk upon your own life-"  
  
"I do what I wish with my own life, koishii." Yukio interrupted. He drew her forehead to his slowly and tenderly,  
  
like a child's hands upon a delicate china doll. "I cannot simply deny my emotions."  
  
"It is a demon's trait to deny emotion, Yukio."  
  
"Well, I am not of the ordinary demon, now am I, Kuroi?" Yukio retorted, his voice getting more shallow and  
  
breathless with every word.  
  
Dederi's eyes glittered with worry for the mercenary. "Yukio, onegai. Do not waste your breath. Your breath is  
  
shallow and your heart distempered. Rest-"  
  
"I do not have time to rest...!" Yukio interrupted once more. "I may not be able to live for more than a few hours,  
  
let alone days. Let me say what I must."  
  
"You surely cannot take human lives!" Ami exclaimed distressfully.  
  
"Oh, but we will and always will, if the need arise. We protect the weak, and the weak are the humans; but  
  
the weak must be annihilated so that the strong may be destroyed." Hakai countered. "You are a human, Mercury-  
  
hime, and as a human you do not understand our beliefs. Even if we believe in protecting the weak, if the  
  
weak get in our way we will destroy them. Humans without our powers are weak, and being so makes them  
  
obstacles. We do not kill needlessly, although you should understand what we are saying at this moment."  
  
Another tear fell from Ibaren's cheek, and this time it did not go unnoticed by Yasuo.  
  
"You still..." The young Jrocker began.  
  
Ibaren did not turn. He remained at the lattice window, holding the light velvet curtain for support. No one  
  
else knew that he was resisting the urge to have an emotional breakdown. For reasons unknown, he continued  
  
to watch as Yukio held his close friend within his tender grasp. "Yes."  
  
Yasuo nodded slowly. He moved his right hand to cover his eyes, contemplating what he should do.  
  
"He still what?" Minako asked cautiously, her curiosity getting the better of her once again.  
  
The young Jrocker shook his head. "That story is for a later time. It is not relevant to the situation at  
  
hand."  
  
"Wait...didn't you say you weren't a warrior, Yasuo?" Haruka asked suddenly.  
  
"Why, yes I did."   
  
"Then how do you know of Tsurideragon and of the demon Yukio?"  
  
Yasuo grinned, making himself seem wolfish, but a trace of sadness was still left in his stoic eyes. "I am  
  
not a warrior. I am only a human. I merely know of these things because I feel whatever happens in my   
  
dimension I should help in some way or another. I believe that whatever my friends must go through, I must  
  
support them with every ounce of my will."  
  
"Simple enough." Haruka commented gruffily. [I still feel uneasiness about him...] "I can understand where  
  
you are coming from."  
  
Hakai nodded in agreement. "So you see, then, that despite our 'savage' beliefs we still believe in unity  
  
with our friends and loyalty in our connections. But pertaining to this task at hand, of which includes that  
  
monstrosity of a demon, we will spare no forgiveness for him. He must be destroyed and will be...or else  
  
Kuroi will be sucked back into the darkness. We cannot allow that to happen, for fear that the end of all  
  
dimensions will commence."  
  
*~Do not be too eager to deal out death and judgement, dear sorceress of Dragonn Temple.~* A peculiar female  
  
voice said within Hakai's distempered mind.   
  
"Na..nani yo?!" Hakai growled a little bit too loudly.  
  
"What is it?" Quatre asked slowly.  
  
"It's..."  
  
"Arashi." Ibaren stated the colonel's name with distain. "She's here for revenge."  
  
"The colonel from the Valkyrie base?" Heero asked gruffily as he loaded his second handgun.  
  
"Hai. She is to avenge the death of her sister-"  
  
"Inabikari." Makoto finished grimly. "So this whole thing deals with family ties?"  
  
"In a way, yes, but none of us at Dragonn are of family. This whole fiasco revolves around chaos and an intricate  
  
web of conflicts and evil that you will never be able to comprehend."   
  
"Who are you to judge our intelligence?" Rei narrowed her raven eyes. "We've been through so much more than you'll  
  
ever be able to-"  
  
Hakai barked back before Rei could finish her prideful banter. "You have never seen the deaths of millions!" She  
  
growled ferociously at the priestess. The growl enough was to silence even the male Perfect Soldier. "This whole  
  
thing revolves around the emotions of the Dark Incarnate, of which our actions will coincide with until the end of  
  
the universe! One single despondent emotion could tip the scale and chaos would ensue! Do you think *you*, a Martian,  
  
could carry that weight upon your shoulders!? You have not seen the first battle of this unending war..." She  
  
said with a hoarse voice, the familiar lilac aura wafting around her. "The first battle included so much chaos and  
  
despair that the mere thought would result in tears. Your battles would not even compare. You think so proudly of  
  
your 'daring' feats of saving your world from monsters and flowers. I must disappoint you, Martian priestess, the  
  
things you are up against are far worse than monsters. Demons of the ancient world, demons of blackened hell and  
  
ill-reverenced will. Demons that would destroy and consume their own kin to gain more power. If you find yourself  
  
against one of them and manage to kill without regurgitating from the awful sight, another will take   
  
its place. They do not follow the concept of family honor, even if they will take revenge for their fallen kin. The  
  
only reason that they will destroy their family's killer is that without that creature's death, their own honor is  
  
tainted."  
  
"Not to mention that their bloodlust controls most of their concience if they are not of royalty and free will."  
  
Nova added, nodding slightly at Hakai's angry speech. She spoke to the sorceress in a calming tone soon after,  
  
in the same etherial language that all of them had heard the night before. Hakai sighed and nodded, muttering softly  
  
to herself. Ibaren seemed to remain indifferent, relentlessly staring at outside the window, where Dederi and Yukio  
  
still stood.  
  
Hakai crossed her arms and lowered her head. "I apologize, Mars-hime, this war has taken most of my calm judgement.  
  
Our patience grows very thin with every passing day and I did not mean to snap with such insolence. I am not   
  
necessarily sure if what I have said before is of any revelance, but I apologize again. I only wish I had not said  
  
what I did before..."  
  
Rei stood, completely confused. [One moment she's raving mad with anger..the next moment she's calm again..] "Umm..."  
  
The Martian priestess set her plastic fork down next to her plate on the counter. "It's all right...I guess...maybe  
  
I shouldn't have underestimated your strengths either.."  
  
*~I laugh at your futile attempts to join forces between others, dear sorceress..~* Arashi's voice cut into her  
  
mind again.  
  
*~Damn you, Arashi. Come out and fight.~* Hakai narrowed her eyes and grit her teeth. "Or are you a coward..."  
  
"I AM NOT A COWARD!" Rei growled. "I merely apolog-"  
  
"Not you!" Hakai cut her off again. "You insolent fool...I speak to Arashi not you."  
  
"Insolent-!" Rei gasped in aggravation.  
  
"Damare, konorayo." Ibaren harshly reprimanded the prideful princess of Mars. "Silence is your best option at this  
  
moment if you do not want to be killed so soon in this war."  
  
Rei narrowed her eyes at the magi, but kept silent. Even she knew when it was time to be quiet.  
  
"She will appear soon." Ibaren stated.   
  
"Yukio, onegai." Dederi pleaded once more as Yukio was closing his eyes in pain. His wounds were opening once more  
  
and the blackened blood from his veins spilt on the cold ground. A pool of this sustaining liquid remained at their  
  
feet. Both of their armors were completely stained in blood. "Stop your distempered breath...rest...onegai...you  
  
need not speak of this..."  
  
"There is no use to coax him, my fellow demon." A devilish voice interrupted the dramatic moment. Dederi, who now  
  
had her arms supporting Yukio, looked up at the mansion rooftop. A dark silouette stood firm at the edge of the  
  
terra cotta shingles. It shifted slightly, then disappeared from mortal sight. Dederi narrowed her eyes, recognizing  
  
a familiar aura. A pair of arms shot out, one encircling Dederi's waist and the other around her neck. Yukio   
  
stumbled backwards, away from Dederi. After gathering what remaining strength he possessed, he crookedly stood  
  
in front of the silouette and the Dark Incarnate.  
  
"Arashi..." Dederi groaned as the arm tightened its hold around her neck. The female colonel grinned, baring her  
  
elongated fangs. Colonel Arashi was dressed in thigh-length black combat boots with Demovalran buckles, dark brown  
  
leather pants, and a long-sleeved, black-ribbed turtleneck. "What do you intend to do..."  
  
"With you?" Arashi grinned mercilessly. "Why, I will kill you, of course. It's not like it matters if you die or  
  
not, it's just that I like the taste of your imperfect demon blood.." A small black blade shot out from Arashi's  
  
right wrist, cutting Dederi's neck like a coarse wind. Dederi did not wince as the first of her black and red  
  
blood spilled onto Arashi's vein blade. The merciless, cynical demoness licked Dederi's blood off of the tip of  
  
her blade with her pink tongue. "With you dead, brother dearest will take control of the universe and your  
  
presence will no longer be a bother to me. Inabikari was a fool to attack you with imperfect energy."  
  
"There is a difference in what you and I think about 'imperfection'." Dederi grit her teeth as the blade cut  
  
deeper into her pale flesh. Yukio was hunched over in front of her, looking on in anguish and pain. Despite  
  
the loss of blood that would have sent any other demon through the Gates of Hell, Yukio panted heavily and  
  
unsheathed his bloodied chinese schmitar. A heavy coat of dried black blood remained on the blade, some of the  
  
caked blood falling onto the ground. Dederi groaned at his action. "Yukio you are not fit to battle Arashi.   
  
Take shelter in the mansion. I can deal with this."  
  
"There is no way I am leaving you here alone." Yukio stated as he swiftly began to sprint towards Arashi, his blade  
  
held low near the ground. "There is no way..."  
  
Ibaren grimaced as Arashi's arm tightened around his friend's neck, the blade cutting deeper and deeper into her  
  
pale skin. Heero caught the grimace and walked towards him, placing the handgun at his side. "What happened?" He  
  
asked gruffily. Ibaren shook his head and nudged his head towards the window.   
  
"A battle has begun."  
  
========  
  
AN: GYAAAH! Sorry I took so long...damn proofreading... aaargh..anyway...yea...  
  
Email: injusticepilot05@hotmail.com 


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